Open Mic at the Blackout
by LemonSupreme
Summary: AU: Bass & Miles run a Chicago bar where they host an open mic every night…partly so they can perform with the band they've played with for years. Charlie visits after living abroad with her family for a decade. Miles is out of town when she arrives, but Charlie sticks around because she's intrigued by Bass even if he doesn't remember her. Also he's hot when he sings. Charloe
1. Chapter 1: Hurt

**For Romeokijai who asked for an AU where Bass is a 'moody musician'. Well dear, here's the start of it. Hope it works and Happy Birthday a little early.**

* * *

Chapter 1 Hurt

The Blackout is a dingy Chicago bar on a dark Chicago street. If you followed that dark street, and took a few turns and a couple more and then took the El's red line, you might end up at Wrigley – or maybe not. The guys who sit their tired asses on the old red vinyl barstools at the Blackout don't usually have time for the ball park. The regulars who drink their swill at this particular dive bar are factory workers and veterans. They are cops and taxi drivers. They are the heart of Chicago's working class.

This afternoon, two of the bar's four owners are here. Miles Matheson is the only one of the four who does the bar thing full time. He stands behind the bar, cleaning up for the night ahead. He's wearing his usual uniform of faded tee shirt and jeans. On the other side of the bar sits Bass Monroe. He came straight from a workout and is wearing a bulky hoodie and running pants. He's staring moodily into his whiskey, not paying much attention to his surroundings.

"Going to need a lot of these tonight." Bass says without looking at Miles. "Can't believe it."

"Yeah, I know." Miles says.

The door opens and Jeremy Baker walks in followed by Will Strausser. These two are also owners, rounding out the foursome of old friends and business partners. They are as different as night and day. Baker is perfectly groomed, wearing one of his signature suits. This one is purple. The guys tease him about how out of place he always looks here, but he doesn't care. While Baker looks as if he's walked off a GQ fashion shoot, Strausser is unkempt and disheveled. His grey hair sticks out at odd angles and his flannel shirt isn't buttoned right. As they enter, they are laughing and joking with each other.

Without needing to be asked, Miles places their usual drinks on the bar. A draft beer for Strausser and a dirty martini for Jeremy. They settle into bar stools next to Bass and drink in silence for a few minutes. These four have been almost inseparable for thirty years. They are the kind of friends who can hold entire conversations without a word.

Sometimes though, words are needed.

Miles is wiping down the scratched surface of the bar, glancing up at his friends, "Listen guys, I'll be out of town for the next couple weeks. Nora will run things for the most part, but one of you should try to be here every night."

"Where are you going?" Jeremy asks, sipping his martini.

"Jasper." Miles says, staring at the rag in his hand.

"Why the fuck are you going back home?" Strausser asks. Will never has been one to mince words.

"Gotta be a funeral. Nobody goes home unless somebody died." Jeremy laughs, "Who died, Miles?"

"Emma." Miles pauses as his news sinks in for his friends. Emma was Miles's ex-wife. "Emma died. So you're right. I'm going back for a funeral."

"Oh shit, I'm sorry."

"You didn't know, Baker. Don't worry about it."

"What the hell happened?" Strausser demands. "Was she sick?"

"No." Miles says, frowning. "Not sick, just wrong place, wrong time. She was getting milk at the Circle A out on 231… you remember that place? Some asshole came in with a gun, high as a kite, wanting to rob the place. He shot the cashier and then Emma. The cashier is in critical condition."

"And Emma is in the fucking morgue." Bass says, staring into his whiskey. These are the first words he's spoken since they all settled in. Jeremy and Strausser look from Bass to Miles and back again. To say that Bass and Miles have had a complicated history with Emma would be the understatement of forever.

"You going back too?" Jeremy asks Bass.

Monroe smirks, "Not welcome. You know that."

"What about your brother, Miles? He coming back for this?"

"Saint Benjamin?" Miles smirks, "Yeah right. You know Rachel hated Emma. Besides, they're still in Europe. Haven't visited in ten years. Didn't even come back for her Mom's funeral. They won't be back for this."

"Never did like that bitch Rachel." Strausser grumbles,

"Here, here. She was stone cold, but she did have a nice ass." Agrees Jeremy.

"Can we not talk about my sister-in-law's ass?" Miles asks.

"Fine. How's your kid?" Strausser asks.

Miles shrugs, "Don't know for sure. He's not saying much on the phone. He's pretty upset, obviously. I'm gonna help him with the funeral. I'll stick around for a bit to help him clear out her place and get the house on the market. All that shit. Connor hasn't lived with her in years, but she didn't have anyone else that can help."

"You said you'll be gone for a couple weeks?"

"Yeah, at least that." Miles says.

* * *

XXXXXXXXXX **One Week Later** XXXXXXXXXX

Charlie Matheson stands on the street in front of the Blackout. The sun has set and the neon beer signs glow through the dusty window. As she starts to walk toward the entrance, her taxi drives away, its headlights reflecting on the wet pavement. She's never been here before. When she'd landed at O'Hare today, it was the first time she'd been back in the States in years.

Her parents are still in Belgium, running the Think Tank they'd founded there. Danny is going to art school near them. They had all assumed Charlie would stick around as well, and she had planned to until everything fell apart. In the end it had been easy. When Charlie had decided to come back to the States, she'd taken the job that sounded the most challenging, and which also just happened to be near her Uncle.

Now she's here. Charlie feels awful for missing Aunt Emma's funeral the week before. She'd sent flowers and had talked to Connor a few times on the phone. Her cousin is struggling, but doing the best he can, considering all that has happened. He doesn't know she's back yet. She wants to wait till the dust settles before she says anything.

Charlie had already accepted the job here in Chicago before Emma's death, but she'd never told Miles. Her intent had always been to surprise him with her arrival. She smiles a little to herself as she walks into the dimly lit bar. She thinks he'll be very surprised indeed. Although they have kept in touch via texts and email and the occasional phone call, the last time they'd seen each other in person was when Charlie was fifteen. That was ten years ago.

She glances around, taking in the interior as her eyes adjust. She sees customers – a mix of men and women of varying ages – sitting at tables or on bar stools. A low-key game of darts is happening in the back near a small stage. Two men shoot pool in a far corner. An old AC/DC song plays on an ancient juke box.

Charlie claims a stool at the bar, feeling more than a little overdressed as she sits down. She scans the area behind the bar, but does not see Miles. A pretty brunette comes up, a bar rag tossed over one shoulder. She eyes Charlie up and down, "You sure you're in the right place?"

"Yeah." Charlie says with a frown, "Why?"

"You don't look like the customers we usually get. Not sure we have whatever it is you want to order."

"Oh, why's that?"

"The guys who run this place have outlawed juice. I can't make drinks that have little umbrellas in them."

Charlie tries to hide her smile, but isn't able to do it, "I think I'll be okay."

The bartender shrugs, "Okay, so what do you want?"

"A shot of Jose Cuervo and a whiskey, neat."

The brunette smiles in surprise, before warning her new customer, "We don't have limes either. Miles says they're no better than juice."

"Good thing I didn't order a lime then, isn't it?" Charlie asks with a smirk. Soon the two women are smiling at each other, sensing that they may get along just fine.

Charlie downs the shot and takes a deep drink from her glass. The bartender is impressed. "Wow, maybe you are in the right place. You know how to drink." The bartender holds out a hand and Charlie shakes it. "I'm Nora, by the way."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Nora. Please call me Lee," Charlie says with a smile, deciding on a whim to use her little brother's pet name instead of Charlie, which is the name Miles would know her by. She's curious about Miles's life here, and thinks she might get some information out of Nora if she keeps her true identity secret for now. "So you said the guys that run this place have a problem with fruit?"

"Well, it's more that they have a problem with anyone who needs to dilute their alcohol. They're former marines and they are all hard drinkers. Good guys mostly."

Charlie takes another drink from her glass, "Tell me more."

"Miles isn't here. Usually he's working the bar with me." She scans the crowd, "See those two guys over there?"

"The odd couple?" Charlie asks with a snicker.

"Yeah, the blond one is Jeremy. The other one is Will. They are two of the four owners. You'll see Bass later if you stick around."

"They all work here?" At the mention of Bass's name, Charlie feels a rush of heat. She didn't know Bass would be here, although she supposes she shouldn't be surprised. She hasn't seen him in years, but remembers the childish crush she'd had on him as a teenager when the guys had all still lived back in Jasper and Charlie had visited with her folks every summer.

"They all help out when they can, working a shift here or there – but generally they let Miles run the show while they hold down other jobs." Nora says.

"What do those two do?" Charlie asks, nodding toward the two in the corner.

"Jeremy is a stock broker. When they were in the Marines, he was a bookie. He says his current job is pretty similar. Lucky for him and his clients, he's really good at it. Strausser is a guard at the prison."

"And the other one…Bass?" Charlie feigns boredom, but truthfully she can't wait for the answer.

"Bass owns a gym just a few blocks away from here, where he trains MMA fighters."

"They are a pretty diverse bunch, aren't they? How did they meet?"

"These guys have known each other since high school back in Indiana. They all joined the marines together, fought together, and played together."

"Played together?" Charlie asks.

"Yeah, they had a band – well, have a band. They still sing or perform quite a bit, but only here at the bar. They're the reason we have open mic every night from 10 to midnight."

Charlie glances at her watch. "It's almost ten now." She says.

"Yep, you're in for a treat." Nora says, and then she nods to the low stage near the dart board. "Speak of the devil… that's Bass."

Charlie is sure she would know him anywhere. He looks a little scruffier, a little older than she remembers, but he's still sexy as hell. He's sitting on a bar stool, a microphone loosely held in one hand. He's wearing an old tee shirt and jeans. He's looking at the floor. Soft music begins to swell slowly, and the rest of the stage lights come on. Jeremy is playing an old upright piano. Strausser is backing him up behind a drum set. Charlie knows the song before Bass even begins to sing. She feels a chill. She loves this song.

**I hurt myself today ** To see if I still feel ** I focus on the pain ** The only thing that's real**

**The needle tears a hole ** The old familiar sting ** Try to kill it away ** But I remember everything**

**What have I become ** My sweetest friend ** Everyone I know ** Goes away in the end**

"You like this song?" Nora asks, noting Charlie's interest.

Charlie's gaze is glued to Bass as he sings. She does like this song, and she loves the way he's singing it. His voice is low and rough and there is raw pain there. Her heart aches for him, other parts of her ache for him as well. "I like him." She says, tilting her head to one side.

**And you could have it all ** My empire of dirt ** I will let you down ** I will make you hurt**

**I wear this crown of thorns ** Upon my liars chair ** Full of broken thoughts ** I cannot repair**

**Beneath the stains of time ** The feelings disappear ** You are someone else ** I am still right here**

"I wouldn't waste your time. Girls are always throwing themselves at him. He's never interested."

"Gay?"

"Not hardly." Nora snorts. Just bored with it all I guess. Bored, sad and tired. Besides, you look like a nice girl. He's not the right guy for a nice girl."

**What have I become ** My sweetest friend ** Everyone I know ** Goes away in the end**

**And you could have it all ** My empire of dirt ** I will let you down ** I will make you hurt**

"Maybe I'm not as nice as you think I am." Charlie suggests, her eyes still glued to Bass.

"Maybe..." Nora sound doubtful.

"Does he sing every night?"

Nora shrugs, "Most nights yeah. Some combination of the four manages to get up there every night. Bass usually sings, but Jeremy and Miles sing from time to time as well. Miles plays guitar when he's here."

"Does Bass always sing such sad songs?" Charlie asks.

"Bass doesn't express his emotions very well. He deals with the shit in his head by singing. And yeah, a lot of times his songs are sad. He's not a happy guy, Lee. Lots of demons there."

**And you could have it all ** My empire of dirt ** I will let you down ** I will make you hurt**

**If I could start again ** A million miles away ** I will keep myself ** I would find a way**

Bass's song ends. There is a smattering of applause from the drinkers. Charlie watches as he hands the mic to a big guy who looks a lot like Kenny Rogers before making his way to the bar. Somewhere along the way a petite red-head attaches herself to his arm. They get to the bar and Bass turns to the red-head with cold eyes, "You can go now."

Charlie chuckles as the girl flounces off in a pout.

"Something funny?" He asks, his eyes now on Charlie. He looks like he wants to pick a fight. Charlie's pulse throbs.

"Nope." She says with a small smile, before finishing her drink. Nora replaces it without being asked and then turns to Bass.

"Sounded good tonight."

He shrugs, "Hear anything from Miles yet? How's Connor?"

Nora shakes her head, "Nothing new."

Charlie leans closer to Bass and puts a hand on his arm, trying to get his attention.

He looks down at her hand and then back up. He's clearly annoyed. "What?"

"You seem…familiar." Charlie stares into his eyes, wondering if he'll remember her at all. She wonders if he ever thinks about the skinny teenager who once sat on his lap and kissed him at a pool party a decade ago.

He cocks his head to one side. "Don't think I've fucked you. Would probably remember that."

She laughs, "Yes. Yes you definitely would."

He smirks a little then, looking her up and down. He likes that she's not bothered by his crudeness. Ballsy women always have been a turn on.

Nora rolls her eyes. "She's a nice girl, so be nice to her. Name is Lee. She's new in town."

"Nice girl, huh?" He makes it sound suggestive. "We don't get a lot of those around here."

"Like I told Nora…I'm not nearly as nice as she seems to think I am."

Bass looks at her for a moment and Charlie swears she sees a spark of interest, but he shakes his head before downing the drink Nora had sat in front of him. "Whatever. Nice or not….can't imagine you'd be anything but trouble, and I've had enough of that to last several lifetimes."

"I liked hearing you sing. You have a great voice." She's not ready to let him go just yet.

Bass either doesn't understand or doesn't care. He pushes away from the bar and stops close – too close. She can feel his breath, hot on her cheek. "Good night Lee. Welcome to Chicago." He waves at Nora and leaves, not bothering to further acknowledge Charlie.

Nora stares after him, "I told you he wasn't a nice guy."

* * *

Nora is distracted as the bar gets busier and Charlie begins to lose interest in being here. She tells her new friend goodbye. "I'll probably be back tomorrow night." She says. Nora nods and turns back to a customer. Charlie tosses some bills on the bar and leaves.

The night air feels cool and refreshing against Charlie's hot skin as she leaves the bar and walks into the Chicago night. She pauses when she sees her taxi hasn't arrived yet, deeply breathing in the crisp night air. Charlie has drank a lot tonight, but she's alert enough that she feels the presence behind her.

She turns slowly and at first she only sees a figure hidden in the shadow. The dull glow of a cigarette burns hotly as he inhales, fading again as smoke oozes from the darkness. "Nice girls aren't always smart girls, it would seem." Bass Monroe says quietly, his voice sexy and low.

She steps closer. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"This isn't a good part of town. This isn't a place where a beautiful girl should be walking alone at night."

Charlie is close enough now to distinguish his features in the dark. He looks sad. Haunted. Dangerously sexy. "You think I'm beautiful?" she asks, her own voice barely a whisper.

"I'm old, not stupid or blind." He says, taking another drag from his cigarette.

"May I?" she asks, holding out her hand. He presses the smoke into her fingers and she raises it to her lips, placing them over the same place he'd just had his. As the sting of tobacco sinks into her lungs, she doesn't take her eyes from his. Exhaling slowly, she hands the cigarette back to him.

"I don't think you are old or stupid." She says, "And I'm not nice or helpless."

"Oh?" he drops what's left of the cigarette to the ground, stamping it out with his boot before moving quickly. One moment she is standing a couple feet away from him. The next, he has her pressed against the brick wall of the bar with her arms locked at her sides. "You may think you aren't helpless, but you are." He leans in then, completely pinning her to the wall, pressing his face against her throat. One hand slowly moves up her side, caressing the curve of her breast. He trails kisses from her neck to her mouth. She's breathing heavily, her body humming with desire. Just as she thinks he's going to really kiss her, he retreats - pushing away as fast as he'd moved in. "Next time, have a cab waiting when you come out. Also, buy some mace. Maybe take some self defense classes."

Charlie gapes at him, "What the hell is your problem?"

"Like Nora said, I'm not a nice guy. The thing is, there are guys even less nice than me. You should be more careful." He nods to the street, "Your chariot awaits…."

Charlie looks at the street to see a cab now parked on the curb. She turns in time to see he's gone back inside. The bar door swings shut behind him and she looks back to the street and her ride. Charlie doesn't understand Bass Monroe, but if he was trying to scare her off, he has failed.

He has failed in a big way.

She'll be back. She'll show him she's not nearly as weak as he seems to think she is. She'll be back because she wants to feel his body against hers again. She'll be back because she simply can't imagine staying away. Not from him.

* * *

**A/N Song lyrics are from "Hurt" which was written and performed by Nine Inch Nails/Trent Reznor. Another wonderful version also available from the late Johnny Cash. For the record I have no idea if Dave Lyons can sing, but for the sake of this story, Bass CAN. **

**I'm not sure how long this fic will be or when I'll update again…probably in a week or so. **


	2. Chapter 2: Wish You Were Here

**Okay Romeokijai, here's your chapter two. Hope you like. This one is becoming way more fun than I thought it would be. Thanks once again for the request. :)**

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Chapter 2 Wish You Were Here

"Dad?" Connor yells from the basement of his Mom's house. He is surrounded by boxes and crates all in varying degrees of being sorted. A week has passed since his Mom's funeral and he doesn't see an end in sight. Emma Matheson had been a pack rat.

Sounds of something heavy falling, followed by a string of muffled curses can be heard before Miles appears at the top of the stairs, "What do you need?"

"What should I do with these?" Connor holds up a big photo album. It is covered in white fabric.

"What is it?" Miles asks, coming down the stairs to stand before his son.

"Photos from your wedding…." Connor frowns. "Do divorced people usually keep wedding pictures?"

Miles holds out his hand and Connor places the album in it, "I guess sometimes they do. Man, haven't seen these in years." He starts thumbing through the pictures, stopping at one in particular. "I don't know what you want to do with the album, but I'd like a copy of this one picture at least."

Connor looks over his Dad's shoulder. The photo in question shows Miles surrounded by Bass, Will and Jeremy. They are all apparently quite drunk. Miles is wearing a garter around his head and Will appears to be rubbing his nipples flirtatiously for the photographer. Jeremy has a martini balanced on top of his head and Bass is smirking around a lit cigar.

Miles smiles down at the picture. "The guys would love to see this."

Connor smiles too, recognizing his Dad's closest friends. "I need to get to Chicago sometime. Haven't seen any of them in years."

"They would all love it if you showed up. Hell, you should just move to Chicago. What's keeping you here in Jasper?"

"Well, I have a job."

"Shit. You're right. There are no jobs at all back home." Miles rolls his eyes before handing the album back to Connor. "You should keep this. Even though the marriage didn't work out, that was a good day. It should be remembered." Miles ruffles Connor's hair then, just as he's done since Connor first started growing hair. Connor frowns at his Dad, but truthfully doesn't mind the affection. He's had a really hard time dealing with his Mom's death. It's been nice to have his Dad around.

XXXXXXXXXX

For the second night in a row, Charlie faces the Blackout as her cab pulls away. She glances into the shadows where Bass Monroe had almost kissed her the night before and smiles.

She is still smiling as she sees her reflection in the dusty glass of the bar's door. Tonight she had taken the time to go home and change before coming here. She hadn't known what to expect on her first visit and had overdressed. Tonight she's got on black skinny jeans and calf high black boots with buckles. She's wearing a loose grey sweater that hangs off one shoulder showing off creamy skin and the strap of a white tank. Her hair hangs long and loose. She looks good and knows it. She wonders if he'll notice.

She opens the door with a flourish and she couldn't have planned it better. He's standing not five feet away and he's looking her way. "You." He says as if surprised she had bothered to return.

She grins. He's noticed. "Me." Charlie replies as she brushes past, heading for the bar, feeling his eyes on her as she reaches her destination.

Nora grins at her, "Hey Lee, you're back."

"Couldn't stay away." She says with a smile as Nora puts a shot and a glass in front of her. Charlie has just settled into her bar stool when she is joined by Will Strausser on one side and Jeremy Baker on the other. Nora replaces their empties without being asked before going to help another customer.

"You were in here last night." Strausser says.

"But you didn't look like this." Jeremy adds.

Charlie looks back and forth between the two as she sips her drink. "Thanks?" she says with a smirk.

"Casual you is much sexier than…" Will starts.

"Less casual you." Jeremy finishes.

"Is this some sort of tag team event that I wasn't aware I'd become the subject of?"

Nora has returned and leans in, laughing, "They've been perfecting this little act for years. If they bother you too much, let me know. Bass will toss their sorry asses out."

"Thought you guys were equal partners in this place?" Charlie asks, motioning around the bar.

"Well, yeah." Will says, "Sort of."

"Financially, we're equal." Jeremy clarifies.

"But?" Charlie prods.

"But." Jeremy continues, "When we were in the marines, Bass and Miles outranked us. They were both generals. We were just sergeants. They still like to order us around, so when one of them says jump – "

"We say, 'who exactly'?" Will finishes. The two old friends collapse against the bar in laughter.

"Jesus, you two are like horny teenagers with bar tabs." Charlie is giggling.

"Girl's got a point." Will says. "So which one of us horny sons a bitches do you like the best? The one with the big bank account…" he points to Jeremy, "Or the one with the big – "

Nora buts in, "She has her eye on Bass, you buffoons."

"Well, of course she does." Will whines, rolling his eyes. "I am gonna start treating everyone like shit and growling into my whiskey. Evidently that will draw women to my dick like bees to honey."

"Amen brother. That shithead gets all the tail." Jeremy shakes his head sadly.

Charlie excuses herself to go to the restroom and when she returns, Bass is in her seat between his two friends.

"Seems like you've stolen my barstool." She says before moving into the narrow space between him and Jeremy. The place is getting crowded and there aren't any empty seats left. She turns to Jeremy before Bass can even answer. As she does, her ass slides against his thigh. She feels his whole body tense behind her, but he doesn't move.

Charlie leans closer to Jeremy then, asking him if they'll be singing tonight.

Jeremy shakes his head no. "Bass is doing one by himself tonight. Maybe we'll be up there tomorrow. You coming back again?"

"Haven't decided yet. What do you think?" She smiles at Jeremy while also pressing her ass more firmly against Bass's leg.

"Oh, I think you should definitely come back." Jeremy says with a grin.

Charlie moves one of her legs between Bass's, rubbing her calf against his. She gasps when he reaches around her waist and pulls her to sit square on his lap. His breath is hot on her ear as he whispers, "You are either a whore or a cock tease. Which is it?"

Instead of jumping up, which of course is what he expects, she settles in, wiggling her ass against his hardening cock. Leaning back against his chest she replies, "You're forgetting a third option."

"Oh, what's that?" his hand has strayed, stroking softly under her sweater, finding the taut muscles of her abdomen and the silky soft curve of her breast.

"Well, I'm not a whore or I could have already left with someone…" She nods toward Strausser who is sitting several seats down the bar, "Your friend Will for example."

"She's got a point." Jeremy agrees.

"Okay." Bass says. "So you aren't a whore…."

"And cock tease implies that I'm trying to tempt you with something but not willing to follow through…"

"And that's not true?" He tries to reign himself in, but succumbs to temptation, licking a stripe of skin behind her ear.

"No." She's gone a little breathless.

"So what is this option number three?" His nose is now buried in the hair behind her ear and his stubble scrapes lightly at the lobe. She feels heat rising between her legs.

"Maybe I just want to fuck you." She says, her voice so low only he can hear.

"But what if I don't want to fuck you?" his hand curls around her breast as his fingers find and pinch at her nipple. He feels her shudder and his cock strains against his jeans.

Charlie smiles as she shifts her ass against him once more. "Seems like at least part of you wants to fuck me."

She can feel him chuckle before he whispers into her ear. "Maybe. Maybe not. Now get off. I've got to sing."

XXXXXXXXXX

As Bass heads toward the stage, Charlie clearly hears Jeremy mutter, "Jesus Bass, I can not believe that you just asked if she's a whore..."

Nora leans over the bar, catching Charlie's eye. "I warned you about him, right? Not a nice guy."

"Yeah, I get that. Don't think I care. Would like another shot though." She grins at her new friend.

"I have a feeling that you are just going to be full of surprises, Lee."

"You might be right."

Bass takes the stage alone tonight. He sits on the bar stool with an old guitar. He scans the crowd and finds her as he begins to play and sing.

**So, so you think you can tell  
Heaven from Hell,  
Blue skies from pain.  
Can you tell a green field  
From a cold steel rail?  
A smile from a veil?  
Do you think you can tell?**

Bass watches her as he sings. She's beautiful and for some reason she seems to want him. He wasn't lying last night when he told her that she'd be nothing but trouble. He feels it in his bones. The problem is that the big one between his legs doesn't think she'd be trouble at all.

**Did they get you to trade  
Your heroes for ghosts?  
Hot ashes for trees?  
Hot air for a cool breeze?  
Cold comfort for change?  
And did you exchange  
A walk on part in the war  
For a lead role in a cage?**

Bass is scanning the bar now as he performs. He knows she's watching him. He can feel her gaze like a flame on his skin. He should ignore her. He should stop the flirting. He should stop it tonight.

He will stop. No more touching. No more eye contact. No more anything. Christ. He met her yesterday. She should not have this effect on him.

**How I wish, how I wish you were here.  
We're just two lost souls  
Swimming in a fish bowl,  
Year after year,  
Running over the same old ground.  
What have we found  
The same old fears.  
Wish you were here.**

When everything happens, it happens in slow motion and also all at once. Bass glances up to where he knows Lee is standing. She's in the midst of the crowd, her stance wide, her eyes hooded. Her lips – so sexy and full – are slightly parted. Jesus, she looks amazing. Bass is just putting his guitar down when the Neanderthal steps up behind Lee. Bass knows this guy is going to be a problem even before he rests a meaty paw on her upper arm. He watches as she glances over her shoulder and shakes her head. She's being polite. She's not interested. The beast moves his hand away and Bass exhales a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Bass is nodding to some of the customers who are clapping when the big guy touches her again. This time he puts a big hairy arm around her from behind as if he's going to give her a hug. Bass's eyes go to hers and he sees something… what – he doesn't know.

Without even thinking about it, he says, "Baghdad" into the mic. His voice is quiet, but it has the desired effect. Jeremy had been leaning against the old juke box chatting with a busty blonde. Strausser was just now coming from the men's room, tucking in his shirt as he walks. This one word from their general, sends them into action. Bass nods toward Lee and the beast. His friends know what is happening and they get to her before Bass can. There is a flurry of movement and a loud cry. When the guys get to her, she has thrown the huge man to the floor. He's not easily tamed, and stands quickly for someone of his size, leering at her as he moves closer. She grins at him then. Bass sees it and feels a bolt of lust go straight to his dick. He knows in this moment that he'd been wrong about this girl. She can take care of herself. He holds out his hands, stopping his friends. They take the order without questioning it, remaining on guard.

The message is clear. Bass wants to see what she is capable of.

Charlie lets the beast approach. When he is less than a yard away she leans back and raises one toned leg quickly in a high and brutal kick, catching the monster in the jaw. This time when he falls, he stays down a little longer. As he stands again, his eyes slightly unfocused and his mouth and chin bleeding, he lurches toward her and she spins and kicks – this time square in his forehead and he crumples like a slinky onto the dirty bar floor. He's a big man though, and even this doesn't finish him.

Bass looks at Lee again, his pulse thumping in his ears the same way it does when he's fighting an opponent in the ring. He sees how she rolls her shoulders before reaching for something in her boot. When the Neanderthal tries to sit up this time, she pounces, pinning his arms to the floor – a switchblade held tight to his throat.

The bar is silent. Every eye is on the little blond and her blade. "Didn't your Mama teach you to keep your hands to yourself?" Her voice is icy cold.

The big man nods as best as he can, considering the knife at this throat.

"Well, all right then." She says, standing smoothly. She looks at the crowd gathered, "Go back to your drinks folks. Show's over."

Jeremy puts an arm around Charlie and leads her to the bar, "I guess we're going to have to put our 'no switchblades allowed' sign back up."

"But then I couldn't visit your fine establishment anymore. I don't go anywhere without my knife."

"No, of course you don't." Jeremy laughs. "What do you do anyway, Lee? I never thought to ask."

"I'm a ninja." She says with a smirk before turning to Nora and ordering a drink.

Bass leans close to Will, "Make sure that big piece of shit pays for touching her."

Will grins slowly, "Yes, Sir. It would be my pleasure." He says before following the brute out into the Chicago night.

Jeremy wanders over to Bass after Charlie is settled in at the bar, surrounded by people wanting to congratulate her on kicking that idiot's ass. "Haven't heard you call out a Baghdad SOS in years. Kind of surprising. Thought you didn't care for this one?"

Bass shrugs, his eyes still on the girl. "Don't want her to get hurt. She'd probably sue us."

"Yeah." Jeremy smirks. "That's why you can't stop staring at her. You're worried about litigation."

Bass shrugs again.

"Don't lie to me. When she was fighting him, you were completely turned on."

"Of course I wasn't." Bass lies, even though he's not sure why. Obviously his friend knows the truth.

"Well, then you were the only one. Pretty sure there wasn't a soft dick in the house, well except for yours evidently." Jeremy laughs and walks off, zeroing in on the blond he'd been flirting with earlier.

Bass turns in time to see that Charlie is heading for the door. He tells himself not to follow her. She's trouble, and he knows she can take care of herself. There's no need for him to…

"Damn it." He mutters, before following Lee outside. When he sees the side walk is empty, he finds that he's a little conflicted. She didn't even say good bye, not that he cares….

"So, not as helpless as you thought I was?" the voice is low and quiet and coming from the same shadowy part of the wall where he'd been the night before. He smiles slightly before walking to her.

She's holding out a freshly lit cigarette. He takes it and drags deeply. "You were impressive in there." he says, seeking out her eyes in the darkness as he exhales.

"Thanks."

"What all do you do? Kickboxing obviously, and Aikido? Maybe some good old fashioned Tae Quon do?"

"Yes to all three."

"And dancing… you dance?" he can't help himself, taking a step closer.

"Fifteen years of ballet. How did you know that?"

He reaches out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Your movements are fluid and graceful. The way you carry yourself…" he trails off as if he can't focus on the words.

"Sorry about the knife."

He shrugs, "It's fine. Just don't, you know, kill anyone."

"I only kill if I have to." She says in a whisper.

He isn't sure what to make of this, so he ignores it. "Why didn't you try any of that with me last night? Clearly you are able to take care of yourself just fine."

"What and ruin your tough guy moment? Nah. You were enjoying yourself." Charlie steps closer, erasing the space between their bodies, pressing her palms flat against his chest. "Besides, If I didn't want you to touch me… I wouldn't have let you touch me."

She leans up then, pressing her lips against his. He doesn't kiss her back and doesn't even close his eyes. He watches her. She smiles against his mouth, not deterred by his lack of response. She bites lightly on his lower lip and his hands move without his permission, wrapping around her waist and pulling her close.

He almost kisses her back. His lips press against hers just as she pulls away

"What?' he asks, mystified.

She nods at the street. "My taxi is waiting."

"So you ARE a cock tease." He frowns as she starts to walk away.

"This isn't teasing. This is…" she tilts her head to one side and grins, "Foreplay."

He laughs then, running a hand through his hair as he watches the sway of her perfect ass. She walks to her cab and climbs inside without looking back. Damn she's going to be trouble.

XXXXXXXXXX

As she rides away, Charlie remembers a pool party a long time ago. She'd been nothing more than a gangly teenager. Bass had been drunk and sexy and sad – much like he still is these days. She remembers stealing a little bottle of vodka from her Mom's stash and drinking almost half of it before working up the nerve to approach him. He'd been sitting in a lawn chair, only wearing trunks and aviator shades. She'd plopped down in his lap and kissed him.

She remembers that he'd almost kissed her back that time too.

* * *

**A/N "Wish You Were Here" is an old classic from Pink Floyd. It was written by Waters, Roger/Gilmour, David Jon.**


	3. Chapter 3: Paralyzer

**Okay Romeokijai, here's chap 3. Hope you enjoy... we're getting closer to the good stuff. ;)**

* * *

Chapter 3: Paralyzer

Charlie is sitting at the bar, sipping her whiskey and staring absently at a flickering bulb in one of the dusty fixtures that hang in a row above the shelves of liquor. She had been talking to Nora, but quite suddenly the place has filled and now Nora is far too busy to chat.

Someone jostles her elbow from behind and knocks Charlie's glass to the bar where her drink splatters all over the scratched wood and all over Charlie as well.

"Watch it." She says to the very apologetic guy who offers to buy her another.

"No thanks. I'm fine. Just be more careful." She says, looking down at her sweatshirt which now has a rather wide wet patch down the front. "Shit."

"I have some bar rags back here." Nora calls, but it's obvious that she won't be able to retrieve one anytime soon. Charlie is going to walk around but the place is solid bodies. She pauses before turning back toward the bar and crawling over it, hopping down on the other side.

Nora grins and nods toward a low cabinet. Charlie grabs a rag and starts to dab at the stain on her shirt. "Hopeless." She mutters before pulling the sweatshirt off over her head. Underneath she wears a tight electric blue tank that shows off her rack.

Whistles and appreciative comments are thrown her way. Charlie flips them off collectively and the motion is met by laughter.

"Hey beautiful, I need a drink." A short man with a comb over smiles at her. "Please?"

Charlie grins back, "What's your poison?"

"I need two shots of 151 and a vodka rocks."

"Coming right up." She smiles, quickly finding what she needs and pouring his drinks with ease.

She tells him what he owes, takes his money and pokes the tip into the jar on the counter.

"You've tended bar before?" Nora asks with a grateful smile.

"Yep. Been a while, but it's easy – especially here. Not offering juice as mixers removes quite a bit of the challenge."

Nora laughs, "Very true. Thanks for jumping in. Usually one of the guys helps out on the weekends."

"Where are they?" Charlie asks, hoping her voice sounds light.

"Well, it's Friday so everybody's at the fight. Well except for Miles. He's still in Indiana."

"Fight?.." Charlie asks as she pours a row of shots, with ease.

"Yeah, BassKicker hosts amateur bare knuckle boxing and mixed martial arts fights every Friday."

"What the hell is a BassKicker?" Charlie asks with a grin as she gives a short gal a glass of Jack Daniels and some change.

"It's not a who. It's a where. BassKicker is Monroe's gym." Nora laughs as she pops the tops off some Bud Light bottles, "He called it that as a joke at first, I think, but it caught on. He's probably fighting tonight. Will might be fighting too. Jeremy doesn't fight, but he likes to cheer the others on. They'll be back here before open mic starts."

Charlie feels a little shiver. The thought of Bass sweaty and swinging is a beautiful mental image. She shakes her head, trying to get a grip. "What about Miles? Does he fight when he's here?"

"No. He can, but he doesn't…" Nora watches as Charlie flips the bottles and pours without spilling. She's clearly done this before. "He usually tends bar with me. We're always busy on Fridays… Lee, you are really good at this."

"Thanks." Charlie says with a smile, before handing a pitcher and two shots to a guy in a cowboy hat.

They serve drinks and exchange perverted comments with the customers. The regulars love the new girl behind the bar. She flirts and grins and gives them whatever they order in record time. She is a dream bartender. Nora feels like she's won the lottery. This night was going to suck. Lee is making it a lot of fun.

"So you're the girl with the knife?" a skinny guy with red hair asks as she scoots a draft beer his way. "I saw you take out that big guy last night."

"And?" Charlie asks, arching one brow.

"And I wondered what all you can do with it."

"Other than filet a fish? Cut the packaging off my new iPod adaptor?" she shrugs, "What exactly did you have in mind?"

The guy seems a little nervous but he forges on, "I meant throwing. Do you throw?"

Now Charlie's polite smile spreads into a wide grin. She's all teeth and sparkling eyes and the red headed boy is putty in her hands. "Why, yes. Yes I do."

XXXXXXXXXX

Fight night had been good. Both Bass and Will had won their matches handily. Now that they have showered and changed into clean clothes, they are on their way to the bar. The mood is light.

As they approach the Blackout's entrance, Bass wonders if she'll be back. Lee has been on his mind a lot more than she should be. Something about that girl intrigues him. Frankly, it's unsettling. He hasn't been intrigued by anyone in a very long time.

Will is the first to go through the door. His gruff, "What the fuck?" immediately puts Bass on edge. All three stop short upon entering. The Blackout is busy, which is normal for a Friday night. What isn't normal is where the people are congregated. Nora is behind the bar helping some customers, but there aren't many there. Instead, the majority of the people are jammed into the back half of the room. Everyone's gaze is trained on the back corner. Bass pushes through until he gets to the front of the group; Will and Jeremy are just behind him.

They stop when they get to the center of the crowd where Lee stands beside a red headed guy who they don't know. Both are facing the dart board; Lee is concentrating on the target, ready to throw.

"Uh, that's not a dart." Jeremy says, nodding toward Lee's hand.

"No shit." Bass mumbles, moving in behind Lee quickly and wrapping his fingers around her wrist. "What do you think you're doing?" he asks tightly against her ear, the front of his body flush with her back.

"My plan," she says evenly without looking at him, "was to hit another bulls eye." Lee nods toward the target where the tips of two knives are buried in the center circle.

"Are these yours?" he motions to the knife in her hand.

"Nope. I only carry one knife and it's in my boot. These belong to Gordy." She tips her chin in the red-head's direction.

Bass takes the knife from her hand and holds it out to him. "Pack 'em away Gordy and leave. Don't come back."

"But…"

Jeremy puts his arm around Gordy's shoulder, "It's better if you just do what he says."

"But I was going to get knife girl's phone number." He whines.

Jeremy laughs, and pats him on the back sympathetically, "No. You really weren't."

XXXXXX

By the time Bass and Charlie reach the bar, Nora and Will are arguing.

"Why were you letting them throw knives in the bar?"

Nora's eyes narrow, "You guys left me here by myself on a Friday night. Lee helped me. When we finally slowed down she said she was going to the dart board. Maybe if even one of you had stuck around, I'd have had the time to see she wasn't playing with darts."

"It's okay. We're all okay." Jeremy says calmly as he joins them. "Everyone is back to using darts again; Ginger's out on his ass and all is right with the world."

The customers who had all been watching the dartboard are now surrounding the bar once again. Charlie walks behind and starts taking orders.

"Did I miss something?" Will asks. "Does she work here now?"

Bass watches Lee appreciatively. The jeans she's wearing hug every curve and hang low. Her bright blue tank is short and tight, leaving very little to the imagination. She bartends as if its second nature, laughing and flirting as she pours drinks and grabs bottles out of the fridge. She pulls a few Cocktail moves, tossing bottles high or pouring long rows of shots with little spillage. At one point she piles her hair high on her head, fastening it with a clip she pulls from her pocket. Sexy tendrils trail down and Bass is consumed by the need to pull that clip out and run his fingers through her hair. Shit. She's going to drive him crazy.

"What are you guys singing tonight?" she asks when there is a lull in the crowd.

"Some sad sack song Bass picked out." Will says, shaking his head.

"No. Change of plans. I have a different song in mind." Bass says, his gaze locked on hers.

"Better get to it then." She says with a smirk. "It's ten o'clock."

The guys talk for a few minutes on stage before settling in. Will takes his spot behind the drums. Instead of going to the piano, Jeremy picks up a guitar. Charlie watches from the bar as Bass finds a spot to stand center stage. Nora leans against the bar next to Charlie. "Looks like maybe you'll get to see a different side of the guys tonight."

"Oh?" Lee asks, "Why's that?"

"Because Bass is standing, for one – instead of sitting on a bar stool, which means he's planning to really get into it. My guess is that they're finally changing up from all the slow songs they've been doing lately. Also, look at Will." She points at Strausser who has tied Jeremy's neck tie around his head. Nora laughs. Clearly, this is the version of these guys she likes best.

Charlie leaves Nora as the drum beat begins, and by the time Bass brings the mic to his mouth, she is standing in the middle of the bar, watching intently. Bass looks amazing, even with a deep bruise blooming on one cheek. He's wearing a snug grey tee shirt and old jeans. He seeks her out and his eyes lock on hers when he begins to sing.

**I hold on so nervously ** To me and my drink ** I wish it was cooling me**

**But so far has not been good ** It's been shitty **

**And I feel awkward as I should ** Since I thought you and me **

**Well, I am imagining ** A dark lit place ** For your place or my place**

Bass watches Lee from the stage. She's fully engaged, watching just as she had last night before all hell had broken loose. Her stance is wide. Her lips slightly parted. Fuck. She is hot.

**Well, I'm not paralyzed ** But, I seem to be struck by you ** I wanna make you move**

**Because you're standing still ** If your body matches ** What your eyes can do**

**You'll probably move right through me ** On my way to you**

He sees the little smirk that indicates she's had an idea, and the way her eyes light up makes him struggle to remember the words to the damn song. When she begins to sway her hips to the tempo, he feels his dick taking notice. Shit. This is going to be embarrassing. She reaches up slowly, pulling the clip from her hair and letting it fall in waves over her shoulders. Lee begins to dance then – slowly at first. Her body swivels and bends to the music.

He can't watch.

He has to watch.

It's like his eyes don't work unless they are trained on her.

**I hold out for one more drink ** Before I think ** I'm looking too desperately**

**But so far has not been fun ** I should just stay home ** If one thing really means one**

**Well, I'm still imagining ** A dark lit place ** For your place or my place**

Bass realizes he isn't the only one noticing Lee's little show. Last night she'd been surrounded by people watching her fight. Earlier tonight she'd been surrounded by people watching her throw knives. Now she is surrounded by people watching her dance. Jesus. She can dance. Her moves are pure sex. Bass isn't usually the jealous type, but he finds that he does not like the way some of these guys are watching Lee. He doesn't like it at all.

**Well, I'm not paralyzed ** But, I seem to be struck by you ** I wanna make you move**

**Because you're standing still ** If your body matches ** What your eyes can do**

**You'll probably move right through me ** On my way to you**

The guys finish their song and head back to the bar. Charlie has also returned and is now taking orders again. Will and Jeremy settle onto bar stools. Bass leans against the bar next to Jeremy. They are all watching Lee.

"What?" she asks, all innocence and sweetness.

"I just made an executive decision." Will says, eye-balling her up and down.

"Stripper pole?" Jeremy asks.

"Stripper pole." Will confirms.

"I was not stripping." She says with a laugh.

"Oh, but in our heads you were." Will says, tapping his temple.

Charlie looks at Bass. He hasn't said anything at all, but he's never taken his eyes off her. "What about you?" she asks.

"Do I think we need a stripper pole?"

She shakes her head, "No. Did you like watching me dance?"

He shrugs, "Maybe." Bass scans the bar, "Looks like things are dying down for a bit. If you're going to work here, Lee, I have some paperwork you need to fill out."

She looks at him for a moment, unsure. Then she bites back a smile and nods. "All right then."

As she follows him toward the office door, she hears Will ask, "When the fuck did Bass ever do paperwork?"

"He doesn't." Jeremy says.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Charlie follows Bass down a narrow hallway. He pauses to dig a key out of his pocket before unlocking the door to the office. He holds it open so that she can walk past. Once inside, she glances around. The room is dark save for the muted glow of street lights shining through a dusty window set high in one wall. There is a big desk and an old sofa. In a corner is an ancient Pepsi machine. Along the far wall are several cases of Miller Lite.

"So, what do you want me to sign?" She asks, turning to face him.

"Not a damn thing." He closes the distance between them and grasps her upper arms as he walks her back to the edge of the desk. When her thighs bump against it, he presses against her. Bass looks into her eyes for a moment before leaning in.

This time he doesn't almost kiss her. There is no almost about it. When his lips find hers, and his hands weave into her hair, she feels a surge of heat flash through her body. His lips are firm and he tastes like whiskey. Charlie kisses back and it is tense and hot and teeth and tongue. She runs her hands down over the hard planes of his back, grasping at his ass and pulling him closer. Bass groans into her mouth, his cock thickening against her stomach.

She bites at his lower lip and he pulls back for just a moment, "Yes." He mutters.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, I liked watching you dance." He trails kisses along her throat.

"Your song was hot."

"mmmm Glad you liked it."

"Like this better." She runs her hands through his hair as he sucks lightly at her pulse point.

"Me too." He lifts her to sit on the edge of the desk and they're kissing again. She wraps her legs around him, pulling him closer. His hands are everywhere, stroking and squeezing. He pulls at the top of her tank top, popping one breast out of its confines. He leans in, breathing hotly against the nipple before taking it into his mouth.

Charlie moans, arching into him as he sucks the sensitive peak between his teeth.

They break apart when there is a pounding on the door. "What?" Bass yells.

Nora's voice comes through, "Sorry guys, I need some help."

Bass groans against Charlie's lips. "Gotta go help her."

She nods and smiles, "Of course."

She goes to straighten herself out but he pushes her hands away, carefully placing her breast back into the nest of her bra and tank. Then he lowers his mouth to hers once more. This kiss is brief but still heated. He pushes away and grabs her hand, pulling her down from her perch. He only lets go when they enter the bar.

Nora was right. She does need help. The Blackout is packed again. Charlie goes behind the bar, taking drink orders. Bass breaks up a fight near the pool table. Things have finally died down when Jeremy and Will come back in from outside.

"Where the hell have you been?" Bass growls.

"Went out for a smoke. Turned into a couple, and then these girls needed directions…" Will trails off.

Jeremy is grinning, "Why? Did our absence screw up your paperwork?"

Bass glowers at his friend. Charlie smiles but doesn't say anything.

"Hey Lee." Will says between drinks from his beer.

"Yeah?"

"The first night you came in here, you were all dressed up. Looked kind of prissy to be honest, but since then you've shown us that you are not prissy. We've seen you kick somebody's ass, throw knives, tend bar and strip…"

"I did not strip." She says with a laugh.

"Like I said before, you did inside my head. Anyway, I'm thinking our first impression of you wasn't the right one. What do you do when you're not here?"

"I wondered that too." Jeremy adds.

Charlie shrugs, "Rob banks, turn tricks…the usual."

The guys laugh and soon the subject has changed to Bass's gym and the fights earlier in the night. Charlie likes hearing about the matches and says she'd like to watch someday.

"Bass, maybe you should start a chick division. I'd love to see Lee in the ring." Will says.

Bass nods thoughtfully, "Not a bad idea."

The conversation turns to local and national politics. The guys are an opinionated bunch and they are pleasantly surprised when Lee jumps in, arguing passionately about the topics she feels strongly about.

After a while, Nora flips the open sign over and starts cleaning up. The guys have wandered to the back and are playing a game of darts. It's getting late so Charlie calls a cab. When it pulls up in front of the Blackout she waves and yells out a goodbye.

"Hey, wait a minute." Bass jogs across the bar, coming to stop in front of her. "Leaving?" he asks, his eyes heated.

"Yeah. I have an early meeting in the morning." Charlie glances around and pulls Bass into a dark corner of the entryway, where she pushes him against the wall and leans up on her toes to kiss him. "Will you be here tomorrow night?"

He kisses her back, his hands moving to cradle her ass. "Maybe." He says as he slides fingers between her legs, stroking slowly. Even through the layers of fabric she feels a jolt of heat.

She pulls away when she hears the cabbie honking his horn, "Well, then maybe we can pick up where we left off?"

Bass smacks Lee's ass lightly as she walks away, "Maybe." He repeats with a small teasing smile.

He walks back inside. Nora is cleaning tables in a far corner. Will and Jeremy are now sitting on barstools at the bar. Both are staring at Bass oddly.

"What?"

"You like her." Jeremy says, surprise obvious on his face.

"A lot." Will adds.

Bass shakes his head, walking behind the bar to pour a drink. "No, I don't."

"Yeah, you do. You were smiling just now. Brother, you never smile anymore."

XXXXXXXXXX

Charlie gets to her hotel room and takes a quick shower. She checks her email and frowns. Four emails from her Dad, two from Danny and one from her Mom. All are urgent requests (or in the case of her mother – demands) that she return to Belgium. She closes her laptop without responding to any of the messages.

She crawls into bed wearing only little white panties. As she settles into her pillows, Charlie closes her eyes and thinks of Bass. Slowly she runs her fingers in circles over the nipple Bass had tasted just hours before. Then she moves farther down, finding the wet heat between her thighs. As she begins to stroke with a sweet familiar rhythm, she has a thought that brings a smile to her face.

Her family is mad at her and she's fantasizing about Bass Monroe. It's like high school all over again except that she no longer cares what her parents think, and she's pretty sure she will be doing a lot more than fantasizing about Bass very soon.

A lot more.

* * *

**A/N: Song lyrics are from "Paralyzer" by Finger Eleven. Written by Sean Anderson, Rich Beddoe, James Black and Rick Jackett. Can't imagine an acoustic version? Search YouTube for Paralyzer unplugged.**

**A quick shout out to IceonFire7 for giving me the idea that inspired the knife throwing scene and for doing a read through for this chap. Thanks girl!**


	4. Chapter 4: We've Got Tonight

**My apologies to ****Romeokijai. I had the flu and that pushed everything late, including this update. Hope the double shot of smut in this chapter makes up for the delay. Without further ado…here's chapter 4. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 4: We've Got Tonight

Charlie is sitting on her hotel balcony, attempting to relax after a trying day at her new job. Her ringing phone brings her out of her reverie. She sits down her glass of whiskey and glances at the call display before she answers with a smile, "Aaron? How's Belgium?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Two hours later, Charlie walks into the Blackout with a lot on her mind and a frown on her face. To say her call with Aaron had been unsettling would be a grave understatement. Charlie needs to forget for a while. She wants nothing more than to get lost in something…in someone. She scans the room for Bass and feels a jolt of heat when she spots him.

Bass and a stocky bald guy are talking at the end of the bar. Bass looks amazing in a black button down with the sleeves rolled up and faded jeans. He is laughing at something the bald guy has said. They clearly know each other well. Bass looks up and their eyes lock. Charlie smiles, but Bass doesn't acknowledge her arrival, instead he turns back to his friend and continues their conversation.

Charlie tries to shrug off his indifference, but it stings. She walks to the bar. Nora slides a drink her way. Jeremy is sitting nearby.

"Don't let him get to you Kid. It's not you. It's him. Bass is a moody guy. It's been worse since Emma died."

She looks at Jeremy, "Emma? The other owner's ex-wife? Why does Bass care?"

"They were friends and for a while, they were more." Jeremy won't meet her eyes and realizes he's said too much. "Not my story to tell."

"Whatever. He could at least say hi. What a dick." She empties her glass and puts it down with more force than is absolutely necessary before standing.

"Crap." Jeremy says when he sees where she's headed. "This isn't going to end well."

Nora and Jeremy watch as Charlie approaches Bass and the stocky guy he's been talking to. "Hi." She says, waving at Bass. He glances her way and cocks an eyebrow as if to say 'what the fuck?' before turning so that she's no longer in his line of sight.

Jeremy groans, "Bad move, Monroe." He mutters.

"So," Charlie says, walking closer to Bass, "Last night I was good enough for you to stick your tongue down my throat and even suck on my tits; but tonight you can't be bothered to say hello?" she shakes her head as if very disappointed. "Nice."

Ignoring the shocked expression on Bass's face, she goes back to her barstool and takes the drink that Nora offers without being asked.

"That seemed harsh." Jeremy says.

Charlie shrugs, "I had a shitty day. I was hoping he'd make it a little better. Clearly I was wrong."

Just then Bass walks over and leans in close, his breath hot on her ear, "That was stupid."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"I was in the middle of a business meeting, Lee. I wasn't ignoring you. I was discussing bottle prices with our beer distributor." He pauses for just a moment, "This. This is why I don't need a woman in my life, especially a young one. You are nothing but trouble, and I knew it the moment I met you." He turns and walks away without even looking to see the regret now evident on Charlie's face.

"Why didn't you tell me who he was talking to?" she asks Jeremy and Nora.

"You didn't really give us a chance."

Charlie glances back and watches Bass walking the stocky guy out of the bar. "Shit." She mutters.

Nora pats Charlie's hand and motions toward the growing crowd, "It's getting busy. Why don't you come back here and help me tend bar? Might get your mind off things."

Charlie nods, and finishes her drink before going behind the bar. Jeremy wanders over to the table where Will is sitting with a couple girls. They are laughing when Bass returns.

"How pissed is Miles going to be if we have to get a new beer distributor?" he asks, not meeting their eyes.

"Why do we need a new one?" Will asks absently. "We've used Jack for years."

Bass doesn't want to say. He shrugs, "He said some shit that I didn't like."

"About what?"

Bass shakes his head.

Jeremy groans, "Not what. Who. He said something about Lee, didn't he? Something you didn't like. What did you do to him?"

"Well, I might have broken his nose." Bass runs a hand through his hair, "Maybe a rib or two."

"Shit Bass, You can't beat the shit out of people in front of the bar, not even when they insult your girlfriend." Jeremy grumbles.

"She's not my girlfriend." Bass scowls at his friends.

Will just shakes his head, "Then why the fuck do we need a new beer distributor?"

"Girlfriend or not, she's in your head." Jeremy points out.

"No, she isn't. I don't want the drama. I'm not interested."

"Yeah right." Will snorts. "You've been sniffing after her ass like a hunting dog on the trail. Now you're just done?"

"Yeah, I'm done." Bass says, his eyes wandering to the bar where Lee is serving drinks. Just then the little red head who is always following him around, shows up at the table. Usually Bass ignores her, but he figures she'll be a decent distraction tonight. He puts his arm around her shoulders. "Want to sit with us?" he asks.

She nods eagerly, and slides into the booth after Bass. Jeremy rolls his eyes, "I need a drink."

Charlie smiles sadly when Jeremy walks up to the bar. The crowd has thinned out. "He's still mad, isn't he?"

Jeremy laughs, "Says he is, but he just kicked the shit out of our beer distributor for disrespecting you."

She can't hide her surprise, "He did that?"

"Yeah he did. He likes you a lot, you know."

Charlie looks over at the corner table when Bass is sitting with a petite red head who can't keep her hands off of him. She frowns, "Yeah, he looks like he's madly in love with me."

"How about I prove that he likes you?" Jeremy is grinning.

"What kind of proof?" Charlie is skeptical.

"Do you trust me?" Jeremy asks.

"Not even a little bit." She chuckles. "Why? What do you have in mind?"

Bass is regretting his impulsive decision to let Red think she has a chance. The girl is massaging his dick through his jeans like it's a lamp and she's looking for a genie. Maybe under other circumstances, he'd respond, but all he can think about is that he wishes it was Lee sitting with him instead. He feels like an idiot. So, she made an error in judgment. Who hasn't?

He hears Red mutter something about 'erectile dysfunction' and he frowns at her. "Stop rubbing so hard. Shit, are you trying to set it on fire? Give it a rest." She pulls her hand away with a pout. Bass turns his attention to the bar and forgets all about Red.

Jeremy is sitting at the bar, perched on one of the old vinyl bar stools. He looks comfortable, with his legs spread as he sips his drink. He also looks ridiculous of course, wearing one of those stupid suits he's known for. This one is pinstriped. Evidently not everyone thinks he looks ridiculous. Lee is standing next to him. Far too close in Bass's opinion. He watches as she hands Jeremy a fresh martini. Jeremy takes it, and then pulls her near. Lee doesn't object, letting him pull her in until she's nestled in between his thighs. Jeremy leans in, whispering something in her ear. Lee laughs. Bass's blood begins to boil as he watches Jeremy's hands slide down to cup Lee's ass. "Oh, hell no." Bass growls, pushing Red out of the way.

Jeremy is probably enjoying this little charade a lot more than he should. Lee is hot and her body is curvy and tight in all the right places. She brushes her lips against his and he almost forgets this is all just for show. Lee is quite the actress, playing up this little flirtation quite nicely. He presses his lips firmly against hers. He'll pay for this and he knows it, but what the hell? She feels so damn good…

The fist that rams into Jeremy's jaw belongs to Bass of course. There is enough force behind the punch that he falls right off the bar stool, landing with a hard thump on his ass.

"You don't touch her, Baker."

"You hit him!" Charlie states the obvious. She knew Bass might get pissed, but she didn't think he'd hit his friend.

Jeremy is rubbing his jaw, but smiling through the pain. "Told you he likes you."

"Jesus Baker! What the hell was that?" Bass yells.

Jeremy stands, picking up his drink and taking a sip, "That was me, showing you both that you were full of shit."

Bass decides he'll deal with Baker later. He grabs Lee's hand and pulls her after him toward the office. She feels a moment of déjà vu as he slams the door shut behind them. The flicker of neon from an old beer sign on the wall casts colorful shadows across his face. Somehow his blue eyes look bluer. She backs against the desk as he stalks toward her, his expression predatory. "Why were you kissing Jeremy?" Bass's voice is low and raspy. He's in her personal space now, close but not touching.

"Why were you letting that red headed whore paw at your dick?" Her breathing is ragged.

"Do you like him?" he's whispering against her ear.

"Jeremy? No. Not like that." Charlie shudders as Bass bites down on her ear lobe. "Why do you even care? You said you didn't want me…my drama."

"I lied." He thrusts his hands into her hair at the base of her neck, pulling her close into a crushing kiss. He bites at her lower lip and Charlie moans into his mouth.

Charlie reaches up and begins to unbutton his shirt. He moves his hands down, grasping her hips and pulling her tight against his body, showing her how hard he is. His tongue explores her mouth hungrily as his fingers dip into her waistband, popping the snap on her jeans. She runs her hands up and down his chest, scraping her nails over his nipples before working his shirt off his shoulders.

They aren't wasting any time tonight. He pulls away from the kiss long enough to work her jeans down her thighs. Charlie kicks off her shoes and steps out of her jeans. He's kissing her again as he reaches between her legs, feeling how wet she is through the flimsy fabric of her panties. He pushes them aside, stroking the tender flesh of her sex. She's wiggling out of them so that he has better access, and soon they are pooled at her feet.

"So perfect." He whispers, circling her breasts with his large hands, caressing and squeezing. He finds her nipples through the fabric of her tee shirt and bra, teasing them into hard little peaks.

Charlie moans as he pushes his fingers into her heat, stroking her drenched folds, finding her clit and circling it with a thumb. She deepens the kiss as she reaches for his jeans. In moments he springs into her hand, thick and hard and ready. "So big." She moans against his mouth.

Bass boosts her up onto the edge of the desk. He doesn't hesitate. As she wraps her legs around him, he surges forward, impaling his cock in her hot pussy. "Erectile dysfunction, my ass." He mutters as he begins to thrust, stretching her and filling her. She has no idea what he's talking about and doesn't care. She is only aware of the way his hard cock feels buried inside her depths as he pounds into her. She angles her pelvis and begs him, "More, I want more."

He complies, picking up his tempo, pushing into her hard and fast, digging into her hips for leverage with his fingers. He feels her pussy beginning to clench at his cock and he knows he won't last much longer. "You are so tight." He mutters against her ear, slamming into her sex with a punishing pace.

He has every intention of pulling out. He's ready to do it when she grasps his ass, coming apart around his dick and biting down on the side of his throat. He moans, no longer thinking straight as he pumps ropes of hot come deep into her core. "Shit. Sorry." He says with a ragged breath.

She collapses against his chest, her legs still wrapped tight around him. "S'okay." She mumbles, sated and boneless. She can't believe that after all these years; she's finally gotten him just where she's wanted him. To say her fantasies hadn't come close to the real thing would be a vast understatement.

"You okay?" he asks.

"Yeah, so much better than okay." She smiles. "I guess Jeremy was right. Seems like you do like me a little bit." She smirks against his chest, and feels his chuckle rumble underneath the ridges of his pectoral muscles.

"Maybe just a little." He agrees. "But this is all it can be. You know that, right?" he pulls away far enough to meet her eyes. "I don't want a relationship."

Charlie frowns. "You're still inside me, and you think this is the best time to tell me that you don't want a relationship?" She shoves at his chest and he pulls from her slickly. "What an ass."

"I'm sorry." He says, running a hand through his curls. "I just want to be honest. I'm not boyfriend material."

"Clearly." She yanks her clothes back on, slips her feet into her shoes and leaves the office without looking back.

"Fuck. Probably could have handled that better."

XXXXXXXXXX

He emerges a few minutes later, and sees Lee is back behind the bar with Nora. She makes a point of ignoring him when he comes to the bar. Nora hands him his drink. She nods toward the stage. "It's ten. The guys are waiting."

Bass nods without looking at Nora. His eyes are on Lee. Even if she is pretending he doesn't exist, he can't not look at her. She is stunning, especially with the freshly fucked look that he proudly notes he is responsible for. He tosses back the contents of his glass and heads for the stage. Bass confers with the guys, noting a bruise blooming on Jeremy's face. He sits at the barstool that is parked behind the mic stand as Jeremy's haunting piano music fills the room. Will drums softly in the background.

Bass lifts the microphone to his mouth, finding Lee behind the bar with his eyes. She's watching him and his heart lurches at the heat he sees in her gaze. He doesn't look away as he begins to sing.

**I know it's late, I know you're weary ** I know your plans don't include me  
Still here we are, both of us lonely ** Longing for shelter from all that we see  
Why should we worry, no one will care girl ** Look at the stars so far away  
We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow? ** We've got tonight babe  
****Why don't you stay?**

She watches as he sings. He's so fucking hot and now that she knows what it's like to feel him inside, to know how perfectly he fits… she's struggling to focus. He's shoved his shirtsleeves up his forearms, showing off the tight muscles there. The shirt is unbuttoned enough that she can see a tan expanse of chest. Chest she remembers licking just a little while ago. She shakes her head, trying to clear her thoughts. It's hard to focus with the way he's singing to her. Maybe it doesn't matter that he wants to keep things casual. Realistically, she understands where he's coming from, but it stings just the same.

**Deep in my soul, I've been so lonely ** All of my hopes, fading away  
****I've longed for love, like everyone else does ** I know I'll keep searching, even after today  
So there it is girl, I've said it all now ** And here we are babe, what do you say?  
****We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow? ** We've got tonight babe  
Why don't you stay?**

Charlie thinks about her conversation with Aaron earlier. She reminds herself that this might be a good time to take what she can get while she can get it. Nobody is promised tomorrow.

**We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow? ** We've got tonight babe  
Why don't you stay?**

Bass watches her work while he sings. Clearly she's preoccupied as she tends bar. He loves watching her move. He loves the way she smiles absently at most of her customers, saving that stunning dimple smile for a worthy few. He loves remembering the way she felt wrapped tight around his cock. Shit. He doesn't want a relationship, but for some reason the thought of not being with her every day doesn't bode well either. He doesn't want to be this obsessed with anyone. It's unsettling. He finishes his song, puts up his mic and walks out of the bar without looking her way.

He needs some air.

Charlie sees Bass leave, but she isn't able to get away from the bar right away. When she finally does have a moment, she follows him out. She sees a shadowy figure leaning against the wall, and she feels a wave of relief. But as she walks his way, she quickly realizes that it's Will and not Bass smoking against the wall.

"He left." Will says simply.

"Where did he go?"

"Home is my guess." He tosses what's left of his cigarette to the ground, blowing out a plume of smoke, "Come on. My bike is out back. I'll take you."

"To his house?" She asks, surprised.

"Well, yeah." He shrugs. "If you want to see him again tonight."

"Will he want me to just show up?"

"I'm guessing he will, yeah." Strausser chuckles a little. "He's got it bad for you, Lee." He turns then and walks down the narrow alley that runs along the side of the bar. She follows. An old, but very well maintained Harley Davidson is parked right behind the building. He gets on, handing her a helmet that had been perched on the back. "Climb on."

Charlie relaxes a little. Will can be a bit scary, but somehow she knows she's safe with him. It's the same feeling she gets from Jeremy. These guys would never hurt her. "Bet you say that to all the girls." She teases him.

He laughs loudly, "Sure enough, though sadly a lot of them say no." Then the engine roars to life, and there is no point in talking. She grips Will's waist as he drives down the darkened city streets. The neighborhood is mostly industrial with the occasional bar or restaurant. Charlie is taking it all in, and is very surprised when they pull to a stop mere blocks from the bar. He nods toward the building he's parked in front of.

She sees the sign. It shows a pair of boxing gloves and says in simple script, 'BassKicker'. "He lives at his gym?" she asks.

Will nods. "Yeah, his place is on the second floor." He walks to the entryway, pressing a buzzer. They wait for a few minutes.

Charlie has decided he's not home when finally they hear his voice. He sounds tired. "What?"

"It's me." Will says. "Got something for ya."

"I'm going to bed. Come back tomorrow."

"Nah, You're gonna want to stay up for this." Will winks at her then, and walks back to his bike. He waits there long enough to hear the door click open. "The stair case is on the right. Just walk on up." Then he puts the helmet on his head and he's gone in a roar of Harley exhaust.

Charlie takes a deep breath and walks into the darkened gym. Security lights dimly illuminate the interior. The front third of the large room she's entered is filled with weights and exercise equipment. Beyond that she can see a section of punching bags hanging from heavy chains and in the back there are four rings for fighting. Along the left wall there is a series of open doors that seem to go to class rooms. She finds the stairs easily, and makes her way up.

At the top of the stairs there is a simple steel door that has been propped open with a boot. She smiles a little, letting herself in and kicking the boot out of the way so that the door shuts behind her with a click.

"So, what do you want?" Bass asks as he walks into the entryway, a drink in hand. He stops short when he sees Charlie. "Where's Will?"

She shrugs, suddenly feeling very out of place. "Don't know. He dropped me off."

Bass nods slowly, finding that instead of annoyed by this turn of events, he is strangely intrigued. "Why are you here?" he asks.

Charlie shakes her head, "I'm sorry. Obviously it was stupid to come. I'll go."

He sets down his drink and moves to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You aren't going anywhere. I'm not letting you wander out into the night by yourself. I don't care how badass you are. I'm not trying to be a jerk. I'm just curious. Why are you here?"

She can't quite meet his eyes. "You left without saying goodbye."

"So, you came to my place so that I could tell you goodbye?" he runs his hand slowly up the side of her throat. She leans into his touch and he takes a step closer. "What do you really want, Lee?"

"I think you know."

"No. I don't. That's why I'm asking. What do you want?"

"You." Her voice is breathy and her eyes finally find his. "I want you."

"I told you – "

She cuts him off, "I know what you don't want. You made that clear. I'm not here to be your girlfriend."

"Then what do you want to be?"

"Whatever you'll let me be." Her voice is small and her gaze haunting. She is telling him she's willing to be with him on his terms.

He knows that he doesn't deserve her – not even this piece of herself that she's offering, but he can't say no. Not to her. He doesn't answer with words, but leans down and takes her mouth in a kiss that is gentle and tender. It is so different from the fast and furious fuck from earlier. Everything about this kiss is sweet. He is exploring slowly and she melts into him, thrusting her tongue through his lips. He groans, "Come on." He takes her hand. She follows him down a long hallway, one wall of which is lined with books from floor to ceiling. She glances at the titles as they pass, and she is surprised to see a large percentage of his book collection is related to history and politics. Hot and smart. Shit. Could he be any sexier?

No. She's pretty sure the answer is no.

They pass a kitchen that is modern, all chrome and glass. They pass a living room with a long leather sofa and an enormous flat screen, and then they reach their destination. Bass's bedroom is huge. In its center is a king size bed with simple navy blue bedding. Another wall of bookshelves is filled with books and framed photos. A wall of windows looks out over the Chicago night.

She walks to the windows, looking out at the view. "Wow." She says simply.

He moves in close behind her. "Yeah, wow." He begins to nuzzle her neck. Bass wraps his arms around her waist, his fingers sliding under her tee shirt to stroke the supple skin of her belly. Charlie shivers, pressing back into his body. She can feel how hard he is already as he holds her close. Bass licks a stripe of skin behind her ear and she moans, turning in his arms.

They are kissing and clothing is falling wherever it's tossed. Naked, they crawl onto his bed. The only light in the room is coming from traffic and city lights outside. She's on her back. He's propped up on an elbow at her side, sliding his hands over her flesh. He cups her breasts before sliding farther down, stroking the velvety folds between her legs. She's drenched both with her own desire for him, and with his seed from their earlier romp. There is something insanely hot about this, something primal.

"Please." She begs against his mouth.

He moves to hover over her. She spreads her legs for him, arching to meet his thrust as he slides smoothly home. Bass loves the feel of her body, wet and hot around his cock. He slowly moves in and out, never taking his eyes from hers. "What do you want?" he asks again.

"I want to ride you." She whispers. He smiles and pushes in deep, flipping them without leaving her heat. She braces her hands on his chest and begins to move. He reaches up, grasping her breasts, touching and squeezing. Charlie throws her head back as she moves, rolling her hips to take him in deeper.

"Jesus, Lee." He growls, loving the way this feels, loving the way she looks as she slides up and down his dick. Her pace is slow and steady as tension builds for them both. He begins to lift his hips forcefully, meeting her half way. "Gonna come." He warns her between gritted teeth.

She grinds down, not letting up at all. "So come." She says as her orgasm rips her apart and for the second time tonight he fills her with his own release.

Charlie collapses on his chest, and he wraps his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. "Damn." He says his voice reverent. "You are amazing."

"You too." She sighs, and sits up, "But I should go."

Bass pulls her back down, "No. You should stay. Stay with me tonight."

"You sure? Thought you didn't want…"

"Right now, I just want you to stay. We can figure out everything else some other time." He pulls a sheet over their bodies, rolling so they are side by side, facing each other. "Please stay." He says again, pressing a soft kiss on her lips.

"Okay, I'll stay." She snuggles in close and falls asleep easily. Her last thought before she drifts into unconsciousness is that she could get used to this. What she'd never guess is that his last thought before falling asleep mirrors her own.

* * *

**A/N: "We've Got Tonight" was written by Bob Seger, and in my opinion you can't beat his version of this song, though if David Lyons wants to prove me wrong….I'm open to being persuaded.**


	5. Chapter 5: Someone Like You

**1st dedication…For Romeokijai who inspired it all. Here's chap 5 for ya. Hope you enjoy even if Bass will be a little less moody (for a bit anyway). Consider this the 'calm before the big fucking storm' chapter. :) So sorry for the delay. Having some health issues. Hoping they pass soon. **

**Also dedicating this chap to LoveForTheStory who has been especially intrigued by the idea of Bass running a gym. You're going to know why this chap is for you very soon. **

**And for WildIrish for being a peach and writing me a little story (The Rest is Just Details) which you should go read now. It's lovely. :) **

**So very nice to be part of the Charloe community. You all rock, my friends.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Someone Like You

Bass wakes up slowly, feeling strangely happy for the first time in a long time. His first coherent thought is of Lee and the knowledge that she's the one who has put a smile on his face. He's reaching out for her even before opening his eyes, but when his hand closes around a piece of paper instead of Lee, he opens them to blearily look around. She's not here. The word "downstairs" is scrawled across the paper. His smile widens and he gets out of bed. Dressing quickly, he leaves the apartment and heads down to his gym.

Even at 8am on a Sunday, Basskicker is busy. Several people yell out hellos as Bass wanders through the weight machines, looking for her. He smiles politely, but makes it clear that he's on a mission, and not in the mood for small talk. He scans the heavy bags and the boxing rings. No Lee. Turning to the class rooms, he notices a bit of a crowd at the entrance of one door. He heads that way with a smirk. Lee always does draw a crowd.

She had joined a kickboxing class as soon as she came downstairs, but within minutes the instructor – a nice enough guy named Jeff - could see that she knew more than he did. When Bass pushes toward the front of the crowd of onlookers, he sees that Jeff is getting schooled by Lee. Bass chuckles a bit, but then his smile fades. She is amazing to watch. She moves with the grace of a dancer and the ferocity of a mother tiger. In moments she has defeated her teacher. Bass is hard, just watching her. He glances around and figures that based on the expressions he sees…he's not the only one impacted by the show.

Bass steps back into the throng when he sees Will leaning against a back wall. He heads over to his old friend. "Thanks for bringing her by last night."

Will nods with a chuckle. "She came back bright and early, didn't she?"

Bass laughs, "She never left, but then you knew that."

"Well, I did notice she's wearing some of your workout gear." Will is grinning now, happy to see his friend smiling.

They watch as Lee emerges from the class room with her instructor. Jeff is clearly impressed with her and looking her over like he wants to get to know her much better. "Ever think about teaching?" he asks.

Lee shakes her head, "I already have a day job, but thanks for thinking I could do it."

"You would rock as an instructor." he gushes. "What kind of day job do you have anyway?"

Lee spots Bass and Will closing in and she winks at Bass, "I'm a highly trained assassin."

Bass closes the space between them and pulls Charlie close, "Jeff." He says with a nod.

Jeff looks suddenly very interested in being somewhere else, glancing nervously between his employer and the hot new girl he'd been openly drooling over. "Hey Bass, Sorry man. Didn't know she was with you."

"Well, now you know." Bass's voice is chilly. He knows he shouldn't react like this, but he can't help himself.

Charlie pushes away from his embrace with a frown, "What the fuck is that?" she asks as Jeff flees. "You made it very clear just yesterday that you don't want a relationship, but now you're like a dog pissing on his tree?"

"Sorry Lee, I didn't…"

She cuts him off, "Don't bother. I'm taking a shower."

"Wait." He says, jogging after her. "I'm sorry."

She ignores him, making her way into the women's locker room.

Bass stalks over to Will. "Clear it out."

"Huh? Clear what out?"

"The gym. Tell them all to leave."

Will thinks he's kidding. "Yeah right. There are thirty people here."

"I'm serious. Tell them there's a gas leak or something. Get everyone out. Now." Bass's face is set with determination. He's not kidding.

"Everyone?" Will suddenly sees where this is headed.

"Except for her."

Will nods, "Okay Boss."

* * *

Charlie stands under the stinging spray of the hot shower. Her eyes are closed and her hands are braced against the wall. After the very aerobic night she'd spent with Bass, followed by a vigorous kickboxing workout, her muscles feel tight. This hot shower is exactly what she needed. It feels glorious. Last night had been glorious as well. She's afraid of just how much he's starting to mean to her. This has gone far beyond her trying to fulfill an adolescent fantasy. The truth is, he's getting to her.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a sound coming from behind her. She glances over her shoulder and there he is, wearing nothing more than a towel and a very intense expression.

Her heart begins to pound with anticipation. "You always bust into the women's locker room to share the shower?"

"First time." He says, making his way toward her, tossing the towel to the side, revealing his chiseled body. Her breath catches. She will never get enough of him. Never. He is perfect, and when he steps under the hot water, pulling her close; she marvels at the way his wet skin glistens.

"Aren't you worried about people coming in?" she traces a finger along a cord in his throat, "interrupting us?"

"Nope. Made everybody leave."

Her eyes flick up to his. "You did what?" she smirks.

"I told Will to clear the place out." He leans in to kiss the corner of her mouth. "So he did."

She nips at his lower lip, "I should probably be offended or something, but that's kind of hot."

He smiles against her mouth, "I really am sorry Lee, for acting possessive after I told you I don't want anything serious. I don't know for sure what I want. That's the truth."

She opens her mouth to respond, but the sound dies in her throat as his hands move to cup her breasts. The water cascades over the mounds and across her hardened nipples, splashing through his fingers before falling to the tiles below their feet. "It's all right…" she arches into his touch as he leans down, taking a firm nipple into his mouth, she moans, "I'm not sure how I feel either. Maybe we can figure it out together."

"Okay, I think I'd like that." He agrees, his lips pulling the sensitive nub against his teeth. Charlie puts her hands into his hair, pulling at the wet curls, trying to bring him even closer. He doesn't object, burying his face in her supple breast as his hands dig into her hips. He pulls her body closer, pressing his hard cock against her. She lets him propel her back until she's flush against the tile wall.

The cold of the tile at her spine makes Bass's flesh feel even hotter under the steamy spray. He finds her center with probing fingers and determines she's ready. He crushes his lips to hers, lifting her easily against the tiles. She moans as water courses down his back and over his muscled chest before running between their bodies in narrow rivulets. Charlie lifts her legs to wrap around him and he enters her smoothly.

Charlie cries out as he fills and stretches her. Bass continues to deepen the kiss, his lips hot and rough as he thrusts hard and fast into her tight heat. She feels a growing ache in her lower back where she's being pounded into the wall, but she doesn't care. The way his thick cock feels buried inside her core makes her forget the discomfort almost before she registers it's there.

Bass breaks the kiss, moving to lick the shell of her ear. "You are driving me crazy." He mutters as he continues to thrust. Slowing, he reaches between their bodies to touch her clit with soft, sure strokes. She comes undone and he's not far behind. Bass pumps into her twice more before pulling out to release against her thigh. Spent, he pulls her close and they lean against the shower wall. They stay like that, entwined and breathing heavily for a few minutes. Finally relaxed, he presses his face into her throat, "Sorry about the other times. You're on the pill or something, right?"

She leans her head back against the cool wall and chuckles, "Yeah, but seems like you should have asked me that yesterday."

He kisses her softly, as they disengage. "You're right. I don't know why I can't think straight around you. Sorry."

"It's okay. I would have warned you if there was any problem there."

He nods, "Okay. Good." Bass picks up a bottle of body wash which has been left on a ledge under the spigot and pours some into his hands, rubbing them together to create a thick lather. He begins to wash her flushed skin with the soap, worshipping every curve with tenderness.

Soon she is clean and rinsed and returning the favor. The mood between them is light and playful. After their shower is over, they wrap in thick white towels and he takes her hand. Bass leads her through the now empty gym and they go upstairs. He loans her a worn terry cloth robe and throws her clothes in the washing machine at the back of his apartment.

"Hope you didn't have plans for today." He says after pulling on a pair of sweats and curling up with her on his leather couch.

"Well, nothing that can't be put off. What are you wanting to do?"

"First, I want to eat. I'm starving."

"Me too." Charlie agrees with a grin.

"Then, after we eat…" he nuzzles her neck, "I'm probably going to still be hungry."

"Oh?" she asks coyly, loving the feel of his lips on her skin.

"Mmm, yeah…for you."

"But first, food." She says with a decisive nod. As if on cue, her stomach growls loudly.

Bass laughs, "Food it is. I'll be right back."

While he's gone, Charlie pads over to a wall of shelves filled with books and framed photos. She smiles at the collection of books. Bass seems to split his interests between the Civil War, American presidential biographies and science fiction. The pictures are varied. Some show Bass as a young soldier. There are several of Bass with Will, Jeremy and Miles. She grins at her Uncle's face, so young and carefree in a lot of the photos.

Bass returns with a big platter. It is piled high with cheese, fresh fruit, French bread, and raw veggies. Charlie sits back down as he balances the platter on the coffee table. "Dig in. I'll be right back with some bottled water."

After they've eaten their fill, Charlie curls into Bass's side and sighs happily, "Not that I'm complaining, but…"

"Well, this isn't going to be good at all, is it?" he asks, frowning.

"Hear me out. I'm not complaining, but I'm curious about something."

"About what?"

"Your total 180. Last night you said you weren't boyfriend material. Frankly you've been kind of an ass ever since I first came to the bar, even after we've been – well, you know…. But today, you're being sweet and… different, I guess."

He runs his fingers through her hair, and doesn't answer right away. After a while, he takes a deep breath and says, "I woke up happy this morning."

She looks into his eyes. They are so incredibly blue, and fully focused on her. "You don't usually wake up happy?"

"Hardly ever. It's probably been years."

"And you think you woke up happy because of me?"

He nods, "I still don't think that I'm boyfriend material, but there's something about you…. Anyway, I think I want to get to know you better." Bass leans close, kissing her softly. She tastes like strawberries. "And I'm sorry that I was such an ass when we first met. I can't promise I won't ever be an ass again. It's sort of part of who I am."

"Hey, we all have our moments. It's okay…well, to a point."

He smiles, "I'm really not trying to send you mixed signals. I don't mean to be confusing. I haven't figured it all out yet myself. I just know you make me smile, and that I'm happier when you're around."

Charlie likes the sound of this, but feels a pang of dread. He's admitting he kind of likes her, but of course he doesn't actually know who she is. She opens her mouth to blurt out the truth but he's kissing her again. Shit. She'll tell him tomorrow.

Later they talk. They talk a lot. He tells her about joining the marines with his three best friends and how they'd completed three tours overseas before leaving the service. They'd each went on to get degrees thanks to the GI Bill. He tells her that they all hail from Indiana but had moved to Chicago when they'd needed a change of pace. They'd fallen into the roles of business partners easily.

She tells him that she had lived in Chicago as a child, though she'd spent summers with her grandparents. She doesn't tell him that her grandparents hailed from his home town, but then he doesn't ask. She tells him that she hadn't been back in Chicago in years. She tells him that she doesn't get along with her Mom, but that she adores her Dad and little brother.

He tells her about his parents and little sisters, and how he'd lost them long ago.

She admits that she was a nerd in school. He tells her that's hard to believe. He tells her that his degree is in political science but wishes he'd done something with it. He asks if she had gone to college. She nods. He can tell she doesn't want to expand so he pushes a little. Finally she admits she has two bachelor's degrees: one in applied mathematics and one in physical engineering.

"Holy shit." He says, his eyes wide. "You weren't kidding about being a nerd."

She punches him in the arm lightly, laughing. "Yeah, well, with the class load I had, there wasn't a lot of time to be a crazy party girl."

"Seems like you've been making up for that lately." He grins.

"Maybe a little."

They talk about music and movies and art. They compare favorite vacations and most embarrassing moments. Hours have passed and neither of them have really even noticed.

They talk about politics, and his love of history. She knows a lot more than he would have expected, and he gets a thrill hearing her talk about Civil War battles and military strategy.

They laugh over their favorite comedians. Bass tells her some dirty jokes and Charlie admits that she has a subscription to Mad Magazine. Bass shows her that not only is he also a subscriber, but that he's kept every issue.

The day has passed and as the sun begins to set, Charlie realizes that this has maybe been the best day she's ever spent with a guy. Maybe the best day she's ever had. She thinks he's had a good day too, but there is still sometimes a sadness in him.

"Can I ask you a question?" Charlie's voice is quiet and serious.

"Well, yeah." He answers, running his fingers through her hair.

"Who broke your heart, Bass?"

Bass slowly pulls away from her and stands. He walks to the wide window and stares out at the Chicago evening. "I don't know if heart break is the right way to describe it, but I do have trust issues because of something that happened a long time ago."

Charlie's heart falls. "Why?" she asks, walking to stand behind him, placing her hands on the ridges of his back.

"You've heard us talk about Miles?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, he's gone right now because his ex died."

"I remember you guys talking about that."

"Well, she was my ex too. She and I were together first, actually."

Charlie had assumed as much based on snippets of overheard coversations, but wonders if there's more to the story. There is.

"Emma and I dated in high school. We were just sophomores when she got pregnant." He runs a hand through his hair, clearly not comfortable talking about this. Charlie's pulse increases. She'd never known anything about this.

"What happened?"

"Her parents freaked. They never liked me anyway, but this made it worse. In spite of how they felt, we decided to go ahead and raise the baby together. We talked about getting married when we were old enough…"

"But?"

"Her pregnancy was pretty easy, but there were a lot of complications in childbirth. Emma was okay but the baby wasn't. The doctors told us that she wouldn't last long."

"She?"

"Yeah, a little girl. She was beautiful even if she wasn't healthy. She was in this incubator thing with tubes everywhere and we could only reach in to touch her. Machines were keeping her alive. It was awful. She was dying and there was nothing we could do."

"What happened?"

"I had to go back to school. I spent all my free time at the hospital, but my parents didn't want me to flunk out so I went back to class." He takes a shaky breath, "Emma was a mess, but her parents promised me they'd tell me if there was any change, so that I could you know…be there. I knew they didn't like me, but I trusted them."

"What happened Bass?"

"One day I showed up after school and she was gone."

"Gone?"

"Emma's parents had decided to take her off life support. They didn't tell me. I had no legal claim because I was a minor, and since we weren't married…" he shrugs. "I never got to say goodbye to my baby girl. If I'd have known, I'd never have left her side." He presses his hands over where Charlie's are resting on his chest. "Emma was such a mess, I don't think she was even capable of fighting them on it. We were both just kids ourselves. I never forgave them but I never blamed Emma. After that though, things were never the same."

"Oh Bass."

"Yeah." He shakes his head, "Emma wouldn't talk to me about it really. She just cried all the time. We had been drifting apart anyway, but that was the end for us."

"I'm sorry."

"Well, it was all a long time ago. I will always think of my daughter as a baby, but the truth is that if she'd lived, she'd be older than you are now." He pauses for a long time, and she thinks he's done with his story, but then he speaks again, "You're probably wondering about her and Miles? They didn't get together till a couple years later, after we'd all graduated. It wasn't until we returned from our first tour that they got serious. Anyway, by then things were okay between Emma and me, though honestly it was because we mostly avoided each other and we never talked about the baby. Never. Really it was like none of it had ever happened."

"Did you still love her? Is that why Emma's death was so hard?"

"No. I didn't still love her. Whatever we had was just high school stuff. Yeah, I cared for her, but it wasn't like that. What got to me when she died was that the only other person who knew our baby…the only other person who had ever cared the way I did, was gone. It was kind of like losing her again. Sometimes I think that after I'm gone, it will be like my daughter never existed."

He turns in her arms and holds her close, his face buried in her hair. "You asked who broke my heart. It wasn't Emma. It was her parents I guess, and that whole experience. It was losing my little girl."

"What was her name, Bass?"

He looks at her then, his eyes wet. "Savannah. Her name was Savannah."

Charlie is heartbroken for him. His pain is like a cloud hanging over his shoulders.

"Do you have any other children?" she asks quietly.

He shakes his head, "No, although I guess I'd be happy to be a Dad if I was with the right girl and whatever. I'm not worried about what happened to Savannah happening to another baby. The doctors told us that her condition was extremely rare. It just hasn't happened. Not yet." He looks at her, "You?"

"Me? No. No kids. I was in college and then running this huge research project with a slave-driver of a partner. I hardly had time to date, much less anything else." She shrugs, "I'm also not opposed, but yeah, the timing would have to be right. The right guy. All that."

"Yeah, all that." He smiles at her sadly, as he wraps his arms around her. They are still just getting to know each other, but so far he likes what he knows. Lee is an amazing girl.

Charlie aches for him, but her heart is also heavy with her own guilt. Now that he's confided in her in this way, sharing a very personal side of himself with her; he's probably never going to forgive her for lying. Maybe if she comes clean now about who she really is and the fact that she's been half in love with him since high school… Maybe it's not too late. She pulls him closer. "Bass, there's something I have to tell you."

He shakes his head. "Not now. I think we've shared enough for one day." He looks at the wall clock, "You know, we've spent almost ten hours talking and well, you know… not talking"

She smiles a little, "Yeah, I know."

"And anyway, your clothes are dry. We should go to the bar. I know what song I want to sing to you tonight." His smile is sad but there's also hope there.

Charlie's gut is rolling with tension, but she nods. "Okay. Let's do that."

One more day can't hurt. Tomorrow. She'll tell him tomorrow.

* * *

Jeremy and Will are sitting at the bar when Bass and Charlie walk in.

"Well shit. Look at Bass." Jeremy says, eyes wide. "Look at that smile. Didn't think I'd see that two days in a row."

Will nods, "It's nice to see him happy."

Jeremy frowns, "Wonder what's up with her though? Shouldn't she be happy too?"

Lee is smiling too, but Jeremy is right. She seems tense. Will shrugs, "Don't know, but yeah, something's off with her."

"If she screws him over in some way, our lives will be hell."

"Yeah, but maybe it's not like that. We don't know a lot about her personal life – "

"Or anything at all really." Jeremy clarifies.

"Right. We don't know anything about her. Maybe she's got some personal shit that has her on edge."

"Maybe." Jeremy says, shrugging. "We'll see, I suppose."

"For now, let's just be happy he's finally happy. It's a nice change."

"That is the truth, Brother."

* * *

When it's time for Open Mic, the guys take the stage. They talk for a few minutes and then they begin to play. Charlie has taken a seat at a table toward the front. Bass had told her that this song had come to him this morning as being one he really wanted to sing to her. She recognizes the tune and her heart clenches.

**I've been searching a long time ** For someone exactly like you**  
**I've been traveling all around the world ** Waiting for you to come through.**  
**Someone like you makes it ** All worthwhile ** Someone like you keeps me satisfied.**  
**Someone exactly like you.**

The fact that he would pick this song for her is daunting – especially after the rocky way things had started between them. She's liked him for so long, albeit from a distance. Now that she's really getting to know him, her feelings have deepened considerably. He's making it clear that his feelings have changed as well.

**I've been travelin' a hard road ** Lookin' for someone exactly like you**  
**I've been carryin' my heavy load ** Waiting for the light to come shining through.**  
**Someone like you makes it all worthwhile ** Someone like you keeps me satisfied.**  
**Someone exactly like you.**

Watching him sing, his eyes trained on her, makes her think that maybe he will be okay when the truth comes out. If he likes her this much, and it seems that he's decided he does… then maybe everything will work out. Maybe.

**I've been doin' some soul searching ** To find out where you're at**  
**I've been up and down the highway ** In all kinds of foreign lands**  
**Someone like you makes it all worth while ** Someone like you keeps me satisfied.**  
**Someone exactly like you.**

She decides the truth can't wait for tomorrow. She's going to tell him tonight. He puts down his microphone and leaves the stage, his eyes on her. She's focused on Bass and only Bass when she feels a tap on her shoulder. She turns, and is shocked to see a familiar face, "Aaron?"

"Surprised to see me?" he chuckles nervously as Charlie pulls him into a warm embrace.

"Well, yeah. Why are you here?" She sees something shift in his gaze and she is suddenly overwhelmed with worry. "Aaron, talk to me?"

"Who's this?" Bass asks, coming to stand close behind Charlie.

"Aaron Pittman." Aaron says, holding out a hand. I'm –"

Charlie cuts him off before he can say too much, "Aaron this is Bass. Aaron and I worked in the same research lab until recently. Bass and I are…" she hesitates, "spending time together."

Bass smiles a little and nods, "Yeah, that's about right."

"Nice to meet you Bass," Aaron says, distracted. He turns to Charlie, "Listen, that's why I'm here – our research." He looks nervous.

"What's happened?" she asks. "When you called, you said we still had a year."

"Our time table has changed again and we needed a new base. So we came to where you are."

"But you said we had a year. You said that yesterday." She says again, frowning.

He shakes his head, "Not anymore. The bad guys got some new funding. We had five years. Yesterday we found out we had a year. We now probably have a lot less than that."

"Shit." Charlie says.

"What project?" Bass asks, completely confused. "You have a year for what?"

Charlie ignores him, "Where are you staying? I'll meet you in the morning and we can go over plans."

"We're all at the Palmer House Hilton. It's downtown."

"All? Who all is here?" she asks. "Priscilla?"

"Yeah, but not just Priscilla. All of your old team came with me. We knew you wouldn't go back – not after the way you left. We all took a vote, and if we're taking sides, well…nobody wanted to side with your Mom."

"The whole team?" she looks shocked.

"Yeah. Everybody is here. I know you thought you were doing the right thing when you left, but we need you." He hands her a slip of paper. "This is my new cell and the room numbers we're in. Come by anytime tonight or in the morning. Someone will be up." He gives her another hug before turning to Bass, "Nice to meet you Bass." Then Aaron heads out without looking back.

"What the hell was that about Lee? What team? And what's all that about your Mom?"

"It's a really long story." She looks into his eyes, and puts her arms around him. "Listen, I loved the song you sang for me. It was perfect."

"I'm glad you liked it."

She smiles although she is obviously preoccupied. "I want to tell you all about this, okay? The research, my Mom, all of it? Other stuff too – really important stuff. I have a lot to tell you actually, but I kind of feel that I need to go over to the Palmer House and talk to my old team now. I need to learn more about what's going on. I'll fill you in tomorrow, okay? I'll tell you everything."

He nods slowly, unsure, "Tomorrow."

* * *

Miles and Connor have finished clearing out Emma's house. They are both exhausted. Miles tells Connor to do one more walk through. "Check the closet shelves, the drawers…all that shit." He says.

"What are you going to do while I'm doing _all that shit_?" Connor asks sullenly. He's tired too, and wonders why he's the one who needs to go back in.

"I'm old, Kid. I'm going to sit here for a minute. Go."

Connor marches inside and Miles leans back on the hood of his car. It's been great to hang out with his kid, though obviously the circumstances were the worst. Miles can't wait to get home though. He misses the guys. He misses Nora and the bar. Connor has agreed to stay with Miles for a couple weeks and he hopes his son will take him up on his offer to move to Chicago permanently.

Twenty minutes pass before Connor comes back out. He locks the door and walks toward Miles. Miles notes the pink box Connor is carrying and the odd look on his son's face. "What's going on? Did you find something?"

"Yeah, I guess I did. It was jammed in the back of the top shelf of Mom's closet."

"Well, what is it?"

"Some kind of keepsake or memory box I guess." He pauses, "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

Connor opens the box and holds out a photo, "Who is Savannah?"

Miles closes his eyes. "Shit. Haven't even heard her name in years. It's a long story. Let's get on the road. I'll tell you all about her on our way to Chicago."

* * *

**A/N: Someone Like You was best performed by Van Morrison. Songwriters are Ronnie Hawkins, Jacqueline MaGill, and Robbie Robertson. **

**A big heartfelt thanks to Iceonfire7 for reading through this and giving me some feedback that was much appreciated and super helpful. THANKS. **


	6. Chapter 6: Behind Blue Eyes

A/N: Sorry for the delay guys. My dear Romeokijai…here's chapter six. Hope you like it. This is (I think) the chapter everyone has been waiting for. Probably 90% of the comments I've received for this story have included questions/concerns about the big reveal. Well guys, here you go. Give me some comment love and you'll see chapter seven sooner rather than later.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Behind Blue Eyes**

Major Tom Neville had served with Miles and the guys in Iraq years ago. They'd never been friends, but he always makes a point of stopping by the Blackout to say hello whenever he is in Chicago. He orders a drink from the bartender – a beautiful Latin woman he doesn't know – and finds a seat at a corner table where he settles in.

That first drink is half way to his mouth when a beautiful girl rushes in. She goes straight to the bar and asks the bartender a question. Neville watches her intently; sure that he knows her from somewhere. There's something about her that gnaws at him. She looks around the bar, glancing his way and that is when he gets a good look at her face. Neville sets his glass down with a thump.

"Well, I'll be damned. It's Charlotte Matheson."

* * *

Charlie is distracted by all that she's learned in the last twenty-four hours. Aaron hadn't been kidding. The timeline has definitely escalated. It was great to see her old team, but there are still so many unknowns…so many loose ends to clean up. Her mind swirls with worry and uncertainty. It's as if her world has turned upside down, but here at the Blackout she feels like she can breathe.

She scans theroom for Bass, but doesn't see him. She heads to the bar and gets Nora's attention. "Hey, is Bass around?"

Nora nods, "Yeah, he just went out back for a smoke. Should be back any minute. Let me get you a drink."

Charlie perches on a bar stool and accepts the drink she's offered, downing it in one gulp. "More." She says.

"Rough day?" Nora asks with a frown.

"You could say that." Charlie drinks her second whiskey slower, letting the liquid melt away some of her worry.

"Rough day, huh? Well, maybe I can help with that." Bass is suddenly behind her, his arms circling her gently. Charlie feels sheer relief course through her body. He's here. She swivels around on the barstool and sinks into his embrace. He buries his face in her hair.

"Missed you today." She says softly.

"Missed you too." He replies. "Everything go okay with your friend?"

Charlie shakes her head, "I wouldn't say okay, but we have a plan…. Listen, I have a lot to tell you. Can we go somewhere?"

He nods, "Yeah, come on." He takes her hand and leads her to the office.

They enter the office and he closes the door before turning to her. He smiles tenderly as he moves a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I know you want to talk..."

She nods, but sees in his eyes that he has other plans.

"I want to not talk first. That okay?" he grins and Charlie's knees go weak when his eyes crinkle.

She nods as Bass pulls her closer, gently lowering his mouth to hers. She returns his kiss. Everything is slow and sweet.

Charlie knows she should stop this before it gets out of hand. She owes him an explanation – a lot of them actually - and chances are he won't like what she has to say. On the other hand, Charlie knows that this might be her last chance to experience his touch, to taste him, to know the feel of his body against her own.

She clears her mind of negative thoughts, savoring every moment that she has with him now.

* * *

Will and Jeremy both spot Tom Neville at the same time. "Oh goody, it must be douchebag day." Will mutters.

Jeremy nods, "Why does he even come around here? He knows we hate him. I don't get it."

"I think he's just checking in, making sure he can still feel superior to the rest of us."

"What an ass."

"Yeah, should we go over and say hi?" Will asks.

Jeremy sits down his empty glass. "Yeah. Miles says we have to play nice whenever Tom shows up. Might as well get it over with." The two friends leave their table and head over to where Tom is sitting.

"Hey Neville." Jeremy nods, "What brings you to Chicago?"

"Just passing through. Thought I'd stop by and say hello."

" Oh, that's it? Well, hello then." Will says and then turns to walk away but Jeremy catches him by the arm and pulls him back.

"Haven't seen Miles tonight." Neville observes.

"He's out of town." Jeremy says, "It's just us, well and Bass. He's around somewhere."

Tom nods with a evil little smile, "Oh, I saw Monroe. Didn't realize he still had a death wish."

"What are you talking about?"

"His relationship with Charlie surely isn't something Miles approves of."

"Who's Charlie?" Will asks, staring blankly at Neville.

"Charlie Matheson? Miles's niece? Monroe was just making out with her at the bar five minutes ago."

Will shakes his head, "You got it all wrong. That was Bass's girl Lee. She is new around here. Hasn't even met Miles yet."

Tom Neville leans back with a grin that is equal parts curious and devious. "So none of you know who she really is? This is intriguing, indeed. Monroe is involved with her, but has no idea…" He shakes his head, "It's not going to be pretty when that shit hits the fan."

Will shakes his head, "That just can't be right….Lee can't be Charlie, can she?"

Jeremy sits heavily across from Neville, "Miles's niece? Are you absolutely sure?"

Tom nods, "Last year my son was doing a semester abroad in Europe. He spent several months in Belgium and that's where he met Charlie. I was there for a visit and he introduced us. I met her and her parents. Her Dad mentioned a brother who had been in the marines, and that was when we realized we knew the same Miles Matheson"

"So your son and Lee… I mean Charlie… what? Dated?"

"Yeah, for a while. My boy had it so bad for her, it was pathetic. He was majoring in sniffing Charlie Matheson's ass the whole time he was there. They got hot and heavy for a while, but it didn't last. She was really involved in her research and didn't have time for him."

Will looks at Jeremy, "Are you buying any of this?"

Jeremy nods slowly, "It kind of makes sense. We don't know anything about her really. She came out of nowhere while Miles was gone. Lee could be short for Charlie. She fights like Miles…"

"Shit." Will says, "Bass is gonna be pissed. He really likes her."

* * *

Bass senses a sadness in Lee tonight, a need for comfort. He kisses her softly, taking his time, showing her how he feels even if he's not ready to say it out loud. Bass runs his fingers up and down her bare arms. Their lips and tongues explore tenderly. This is different from any of the times before. Their movements are careful and sensual. Instead of the explosion they'd felt on previous occasions, this coupling is a long slow burn.

Charlie feels her nerve endings stand at attention. Her body hums with need for him. She deepens the kiss and he responds. They break apart, both breathing heavily.

"Tell me what you want, Lee." He says, his voice is velvety smooth.

"You, inside me."

* * *

"We gotta tell Bass." Will says.

"Hold on." Jeremy holds out a hand to indicate his friend should slow down, "Neville, what else do you know about Charlie Matheson?"

Neville smirks, "Well, she's beautiful of course, but she's also a genius. I don't mean that facetiously. She's incredibly smart, has an eidetic memory and soaks up knowledge like a sponge."

"Eidetic memory?" Will asks.

"Some people call is photographic memory. If you show her something once, she's got it. Her brain stores images and text after only a very short exposure to it." Neville shrugs

"So, she's really smart." Will says, frowning as he tries to align this new info with his memories of Charlie throwing knives and tossing bottles in the air.

"Smart doesn't come close to describing her." Neville continues. "Charlie is a savant. She graduated high school at sixteen and had earned two bachelor's degrees before her eighteenth birthday. I think she went on to get a master's degree, maybe even a doctorate. Other than a summer spent working for Google in New York City, she's spent the last decade in Europe. These last few years – since finishing college - she has been working at her parents' think tank."

"Shit." Will says again, stunned.

"We have to find Bass." Jeremy finally agrees. "He needs to know the truth."

* * *

"Please." Lee repeats, "Need you inside..."

Bass doesn't need further prodding, reaching for the waist band on her shorts, he unfastens and lowers them. She's wearing black lace panties and his cock grows impossibly harder when he sees the way they hug her mound. "Desk." He says. Charlie kicks the shorts the rest of the way off and lets him propel her toward the desk. The kissing intensifies as she opens his jeans and pulls his throbbing cock from its denim prison.

"Turn around." He whispers against her ear. She obliges, resting her palms on the scarred wood of the desk. He pulls her tank over her head and tosses it aside. Reaching around, he grasps her breasts, teasing her nipples into hard little peaks. She turns her head back and they kiss once more before he places a hand between her shoulder blades, slowly pushing her down to rest on the desk. He trails that hand down once she's settled, moving lower. He strokes the globes of her ass with a tender caress, before tugging her panties down and nudging her knees farther apart.

She purrs as his fingers slide between her slippery folds, slowly pressing into her core. She pushes back against his hand, urging him on. She moans when his fingers leave her, but she recovers quickly as he grasps his cock and strokes the tip up and down her drenched slit. When she moans again, he can't hold back anymore. Bass sinks into her slowly, watching as her hot pussy swallows inch by inch of his erection.

Bass pumps into her languidly, every thrust is sinfully slow. He is savoring the way she sheathes him, loving how tight and wet she is as he moves inside her. He fucks her, slow and deep, worshipping her flesh with his fingers, stroking her back and hips as he fills her again and again.

Charlie is sure she's never felt this way. Every caress, every touch, feels different from anything she has experienced before. This isn't just sex. It is so much more than that. He brings her closer to her breaking point with every thrust. From this angle, he feels bigger and harder. The slow pace is torture, but it is the sweetest kind. She feels the tension building and knows she's close. Bass senses it to, pulling from her and motioning to the sofa that lines one wall. He sits and she smiles in understanding as she crawls onto his lap.

Bass reaches up, grasping her face and kissing her lips ever so softly as Charlie grasps his dick and slides down, impaling herself on his need for her. He deepens the kiss as she begins to move, sliding up and down his length with purposeful strokes that match his pace from before. Her long hair cascades around her shoulders, brushing against her taut nipples. Bass moves his hands to grasp her tits, squeezing them gently as she rides.

Charlie throws her head back as her orgasm begins, but he wants something else. "Look at me." He says, his voice strained. "I want to see your eyes when you come."

She meets his eyes and shatters around him. As her body convulses and spasms, he finds his own release as well, filling her with his seed. Charlie collapses against his chest, her arms wrapping around his neck as his pull her closer.

Moments pass where the only sound they hear is the pounding of their hearts and the labored breathing that they both share. After a while, she kisses him again. It is a slow and loving kiss. When she pulls away from him, Bass sees tears in her eyes. He reaches up to wipe them away.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" His concern is evident.

"I just don't want this to end. I don't want to lose you."

He shakes his head, not understanding. "You won't lose me. I'm here."

"But, I'm not who you think I am."

"I don't care who you are. Nothing can change how you make me feel." His touch is so soft, she wants nothing more than to stay like this all night, but slowly the noise of the busy bar begins to infiltrate their space. "We should head back out there, though. I have to sing tonight."

"But we were going to talk."

"And we will." He grins. "Tonight, after we close up, you will come to my place. We can stay up talking as long as you want to."

She nuzzles into his neck, "Okay. We'll talk tonight."

* * *

"Well, we're here." Miles says, rubbing his eyes.

"Finally." Connor agrees, staring out the window as they park behind the bar.

They'd had car trouble in a shithole town in northern Indiana which had turned a six hour trip into a hotel stay, a $1,200 repair bill, and a journey that had lasted almost a full twenty-four hours.

Exhausted and grouchy, they climb out of Miles's car and head toward the Blackout's entrance.

"Does anyone even know we're coming?" Connor asks with a yawn.

"Nah. Gonna surprise em. These guys love surprises."

* * *

Will and Jeremy had decided not to bother Bass until he and Charlie come out of the office. They are watching the door anxiously, waiting for their chance to catch Bass and tell him the truth.

It is probably because they are waiting and watching so closely that they see it all unfold the way it does. Everything happens quickly.

Bass and Charlie walk out of the office, hair tousled and clothes disheveled. They are holding hands. Their smiles are wide.

At exactly the same moment, Miles walks in the front door with Connor right behind him. Nora sees the latest arrivals and squeals in delight as she throws herself into Miles's arms.

Bass already had a big smile on his face, but at the sight of his best friend's return, that smile morphs into a grin. He pulls on his lady's hand and they walk toward the front of the bar. Bass is oblivious to Lee's suddenly pale face and the fact that she's dragging her feet, pulling free from him before he reaches Miles.

Jeremy and Will both stand, ready for anything.

Neville leans back and smirks, thanking his lucky stars that he gets to witness the drama that will surely unfold tonight.

Bass grabs Miles in a hug the moment that Nora lets go. The two old friends slap each other's backs and pretend that the reunion isn't making them both just a little bit misty.

"Glad you're back." Bass says gruffly. "We've missed you."

"Glad to be back." Miles agrees. "You would not believe the trip we…." He trails off as he sees her. She's standing a little out of the way, and he hasn't seen her in years, but he'd know his niece anywhere. "Charlie? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Who's Charlie?" Bass asks, blankly.

"That would be me." Lee says, holding his gaze.

"I don't understand." Bass's smile is gone.

"Come here Kid." Miles says with a grin, holding out his arms, oblivious to Bass's confusion. "I can't believe you're here!" Charlie walks into her Uncle's embrace, but her eyes never leave Bass.

"Charlie. Charlie Matheson?" Bass's voice is no more than a whisper as all color drains from his face.

Connor comes from behind his Dad. He is also grinning, very happy to see his favorite cousin. "Sir Charles!" he cries out, pulling her into a hug as soon as Miles lets go. "It's been way too long and Skype just doesn't do you justice. You are a sight for very sore eyes."

"Connor, I'm really glad you're here." The words are right, but Charlie's tone lacks the enthusiasm he had expected.

"Yeah? Cause you seem kind of sad." Connor tilts his head to one side. He knows her as well as anybody. Something is off.

Charlie searches the faces. Jeremy and Will are shooting her daggers with their eyes. Nora looks disbelieving. Miles looks mildly confused. She even sees Jason Neville's Dad grinning in a corner – which is weird and random. The one face she doesn't see any longer is Bass's. "Where is he?" she asks Jeremy.

"He left."

Charlie pulls away from Connor and heads toward the door but Jeremy stops her. "Don't. He needs to digest this, okay? Bass is not great with secrets and lies. You have to give him some time."

Charlie chokes back a sob. "But, I…"

Will is with them now too. "Baker's right. You gotta let him breathe for a bit."

Miles has watched all the commotion and is getting aggravated, "Will someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?"

* * *

Jeremy and Will give Miles a Cliff's Notes version of the last week while Charlie fills in Connor.

"So, let me get this straight." Miles asks, "She showed up one night, gave you a fake name and started sleeping with Bass?"

"Well, the Bass stuff didn't happen at first. That came after she helped tend bar…" Will clarifies.

"And kicked some guy's ass…" Jeremy adds.

"And used knives on the dart board…"

Miles shakes his head, "All this happened in the last week?"

"Yeah. Bass wasn't into her right away, but Miles…he fell pretty hard. This isn't going to be good, you know?"

"Yeah, I know."

Miles makes his way over to Charlie, "Hey Kid. You okay?"

Charlie shakes her head, "No. Not okay."

"You need to stay here? I have a spare room in my apartment upstairs."

"I thought I was staying in your spare room?" Connor asks.

"If Charlie needs a place to crash, you can sleep on the couch." Miles frowns at his son. Sometimes his kid can be a real idiot.

"No. I have a place, but thanks."

She looks so sad and Miles's heart breaks for her. The problem is that his heart is breaking for his best friend too. This sucks. "At least let me give you a ride."

"No, I've got that covered too. I called Aaron. He's sending a car." She picks up her glass and downs what is left of her whiskey before standing. "Bye Connor. Miles. I'm really sorry about all of this." She sucks in a deep breath. When she speaks again, Charlie's voice is very shaky, "So sorry." She squeezes Connor's hand and then she walks to the door.

She passes Will and Jeremy on her way out. They pretend not to notice her, so she doesn't bother saying good bye. Charlie catches Nora's eye and nods. Nora frowns in response. Clearly everyone here is solidly on 'Team Bass' and Charlie can't blame them. What she did was unforgivable.

Charlie escapes into the summer night, glad for the fresh air as it soothes her heated skin. She walks to the curb, glancing up and down the street. The car isn't here yet, so she leans against a light pole, closing her eyes.

When she opens them moments later, she knows. She knows he's here. Charlie turns slowly, seeing the glow of his cigarette in the shadows. "Bass." She breathes softly. Her car still hasn't arrived, and she's not sure when she'll get another chance….IF she'll get another chance. The guys told her that Bass needs space, but she knows time is running out. She takes a deep breath and slowly walks toward him, giving Bass a chance to run if he needs to. He doesn't move. He also doesn't look at her as she approaches.

"I'm so – "

"Save it." he draws deeply from his smoke and Charlie notes that his hand is shaking slightly.

"I need to explain – "

"No. You don't. You lied to me. You..." Bass throws the cigarette onto the ground and takes a deep breath as he stomps on it. "You let me confide in you. You let me think we had something…"

"We did. We still could have something." Charlie feels tears streaming down her cheeks, unbidden.

Bass shakes his head. "No. We can't."

"I'm so sorry." She says, moving closer. He shifts as if to get away from her but when Charlie's hands come to rest on his chest, he freezes in place. She feels his racing heartbeat under her fingers. "I don't want to lose you. You said I wouldn't. You said it didn't matter who I was…"

"That was before I knew who you are." His voice is low and his eyes are wet. He can't help himself, and reaches out to touch her hair. "I remember you now, you know…. At that party when you were in high school. I was drunk and you kissed me."

"You almost kissed me back."

"Yeah, but then I remembered you were a child and Miles's niece."

Charlie is leaning into him now. "I'm not a child anymore."

"No. You aren't."

"Do you think you'll ever be able to forgive me for lying?" Charlie's breath catches as she tries to collect herself.

"I don't think I even know how." He whispers against her hair.

She chokes on a sob, knowing that everything they had is over. It's almost too much for her to bear. "Bass, sing to me."

"What?"

"Please, if this is goodbye – Sing for me one last time."

"Here?" he asks.

"Yeah, here."

His voice is good behind a mic with musicians backing him up. When his voice is quiet and rough with pain and unaccompanied… it is the sexiest thing Charlie has ever heard.

It is also the saddest.

**No one knows what it's like ** To be the bad man ** To be the sad man ** Behind blue eyes**

**No one knows what it's like ** To be hated ** To be fated ** To telling only lies**

Charlie whimpers as his hands slide down to her lower back pulling her close. She feels the tears on his cheek, sliding through his beard.

**But my dreams ** They aren't as empty ** As my conscience seems to be**

**I have hours, only lonely ** My love is vengeance ** That's never free**

** No one knows what it's like ** To feel these feelings ** Like I do ** And I blame you **

His voice is nothing more than a hoarse whisper as his hands continue to stroke her lower back. Charlie sinks into him as much as she can….as much as he will allow. She presses her cheek to his, and their tears mingle as he softly sings.

**No one bites back as hard ** On their anger ** None of my pain and woe ** Can show through**

**But my dreams ** They aren't as empty ** As my conscience seems to be**

**I have hours, only lonely ** My love is vengeance ** That's never free…**

Bass kisses the flesh behind her ear and Charlie shudders. They both hear it at the same time – the purr of the limo that has pulled up to the curb.

"Your chariot." He whispers.

She presses her lips to his mouth. He gently pushes her away. Once again she is reminded of that pool party so long ago. He'd decided not to kiss her back that time too.

She steps away from him, her eyes on his. "I'm sorry Bass."

"Yeah," he says, "Me too." He runs a hand through his hair, "Goodbye Charlie Matheson."

"Goodbye." She makes her way to the car in a daze. She gets inside and looks back, but the shadows are too deep…too dark…. She doesn't see him anymore.

Charlie turns to Aaron who is also in the back of the limo. "I screwed up, Aaron."

"Don't we all?" he asks, awkwardly patting her hand. "You gonna be okay?"

"I have no idea." She says, staring out the window numbly as the car begins to move.

"Well, I appreciate that your heart might be a little broken right now, or whatever, but we can't lose sight of the big picture."

"The big picture…" she whispers, wiping her eyes.

"Yeah, you know…the one where we try to save a tiny chunk of humanity from annihilation?"

"Yeah, Well, I guess I have nothing better to do now." Charlie sighs sadly.

* * *

Bass watches the car pull away. He doesn't even try to wipe the tears from his face. Lee….no, Charlie. Charlie is gone, and he misses her already. He misses her smile. He misses her laugh. He misses the way she feels in his arms. He misses everything about her, but he feels betrayed and lost. Bass isn't sure he'll recover from this.

He'd forgotten how badly a broken heart can hurt.

He's starting to remember now.

* * *

A/N: "Behind Blue Eyes" is a classic by The Who, and was written by Pete Townsend.


	7. Chapter 7: Let Her Go

**A/N Thanks to all for the fantastic (and numerous) reviews of the last chapter. You guys rock! As a reward, you get not only this chapter, but I'm going to publish 8 soon - maybe even tomorrow as a thank you gift to all who are sticking around. All right Romeokijai, this little bit o fic is still all for you, so here you go…**

* * *

Chapter 7: Let Her Go

Bass's head throbs and his vision blurs as he swipes blood and sweat from his brow. He is on auto-pilot, bobbing and jabbing on instinct alone. The guy he's fighting isn't much of a boxer, but this is Bass's fourth bout today, and he's running on fumes.

Even a beating – whether Bass is the giver or the receiver – doesn't stop the barrage of mental images that plague his every waking moment. Charlie standing on the curb that first night… Charlie beating the hell out of that big guy… Charlie poised to throw a knife into his dart board… Charlie's mouth on his… the way it felt to sink into her…

Bass takes another punch. This one splits open his cheek. Still the images come.

What he wants more than anything is for this guy to just knock him out already so he can sleep, but it looks like that's not going to happen. The only way Bass is going to sleep tonight is if he drinks himself into oblivion – just like every other night lately.

This guy is a joke. Even as exhausted as Bass is, he sees no point in dragging the fight out further. He summons what's left of his waning strength and delivers the blow that knocks his opponent to his knees.

Bass is swaying on unsteady legs when Will climbs the ropes and wraps a towel around his neck. "Come on. You're done."

"One more." Bass mutters.

"Nope. You're done, besides nobody wants to fight the walking dead…hell you're not even walking very well anymore."

Will guides Bass to the door of the locker room, leaving him there. After a shower, Bass is feeling a little better but he's still exhausted, and goes upstairs to his apartment to crash. He's actually looking forward the bottle of whiskey that awaits him. It gives him the numb comfort he's not finding anywhere else right now.

Every night he hopes he'll be too tired to think, but he never is.

It's been two weeks since he watched Charlie ride away in a limo, but thoughts of her consume him still.

* * *

"Charlie? Wake up Charlie." Aaron shakes her shoulder gently, "You fell asleep at your desk again." He is worried. In fact he is far beyond worried. Since he first met Charlie when she had interned under him at Google five years ago, she has been one of the strongest people he's known.

You wouldn't know it to see her now.

Charlie is a hot mess. Aaron pulls up an office chair and sits next to her, watching as she rubs at her eyes. Her hair is uncombed. Her tee shirt is stained. Her blue eyes are bleary and underlined by dark circles. She doesn't even speak before reaching for the bottle that sits on her desk and taking a deep drink.

"You know Charlie," Aaron nods to the bottle, "if I wasn't already rich, I'd invest in Pepto Bismol based on your consumption alone, and well then I'd be rich." He chuckles nervously, hoping for at least a smile. He doesn't get one.

"Sorry I fell asleep in the middle of this, Aaron." She runs a shaky hand through her hair. "I'm almost done with the latest inventory reports."

"Charlie, I don't care about the inventory reports – "

Charlie cocks an eye brow, "Since when?"

Aaron shakes his head, "No, what I meant was…I care about you a lot more than I care about the stupid reports, okay?" He covers her hand with his own, "I'm really worried about you. We all are."

"I'll have the reports ready in maybe two hours." Charlie is staring off into space, pointedly ignoring his concern.

"Charlie, please talk to me."

"I can't." she says simply, standing and turning to the wall. "I can't talk about it….about him."

"But you think about him?"

Charlie swipes at a stray tear, "I can't stop, Aaron. I want to stop, but I can't…."

* * *

Later that night, Connor calls and convinces Charlie to meet him at the Blackout for a drink. He assures her that Bass won't be there and so she agrees to go. She dresses in faded jeans and a simple white tank. She pulls her hair back and doesn't bother with make-up.

Connor is waiting for her at the bar's entrance and escorts her inside to a table toward the back. Nora brings over drinks. She smiles hesitantly, "Hi Charlie." She says.

"Hey Nora." Charlie tries to smile back, but she just can't.

"You okay?" Nora asks. Connor reaches for Charlie's hand, squeezing it supportively.

Charlie closes her eyes. She is so tired of people asking her this question. She is not okay. She is never going to be okay. Exhaling slowly, Charlie shakes her head no without meeting Nora's eyes.

Nora pats Charlie's shoulder, not knowing what else to do. She'd been just as mad as the guys when she'd first learned who Charlie really was, but seeing her like this gives Nora pause. As she returns to the bar, she wonders if anyone has told Charlie that Bass is just as miserable as she is.

* * *

Connor and Charlie make small talk as they drink until a comfortable silence envelops them. She feels better just being with Connor. He's been a rock. She's been lucky that both Connor and Aaron have been supportive these last weeks. She could never have made it without them.

Charlie is absently staring into her drink when she feels Connor stiffen. "Shit." He mutters.

Charlie feels her palms go clammy and her heart begins to pound. She feels Bass's presence before Connor even starts to apologize.

She doesn't want to look but she can't help herself. He is like a drug and she is a junkie – devouring him with her eyes. He looks like hell. His face is bruised. A butterfly bandage covers a cut on one cheek and he has a black eye. His gaze is drawn to hers and they stare at each other for a moment before Connor finally gets her attention, "I'm so sorry Charles. I swear he wasn't supposed to be here."

"It was bound to happen." Charlie whispers. "Maybe I should just go…"

Connor shakes his head, "No, you're here with me. We are going to make the most of our evening no matter who else is here."

Bass grabs the drink that Nora hands him and heads to a table. Will and Jeremy sit with him and try to keep him distracted. He's not paying them any attention because he can't stop staring at Charlie. "She looks tired." He mutters, unable to disguise the worry he feels.

"So do you." Will points out the obvious.

Even though she does look tired – there are dark smudges under her eyes – she is still beautiful and he can't stop staring.

"This is bad. Should we go somewhere else?" Jeremy asks.

Bass just shakes his head, tearing his gaze from her to focus on his friends. "No. It's okay. We don't need to go anywhere else." Bass doesn't say much after that. He stares into his drink, making a point to not look her way. He isn't ready to forgive her. He doesn't even think he can talk to her yet, but he's hyper aware of her every move.

Charlie stands, heading toward the bar. She's a little unsteady and Connor realizes she probably hasn't eaten anything today. "Hey Charles, I'll get your drink for you, and maybe some pretzels. Sit down."

She shakes her head. "Can't just sit there anymore." As she walks away from her cousin she sees that damn red head who is always panting after Bass. Of course the girl is headed his way and Charlie's gut clenches with anger. She has to remind herself that she has no right to be jealous or territorial.

Bass is not her territory any more, not that he really ever was.

Nora looks up from the row of drinks she's pouring. Miles is at the other end of the bar, serving an old guy his beer. "Hey girl, you really don't look so good." Nora says, her eyes filled with growing concern.

"Yeah, I know." Charlie replies. "Had a rough couple weeks."

"You aren't the only one." Jeremy slides into the stool next to where Charlie is leaning against the bar. Nora walks away, sensing that Jeremy wants to talk to Charlie alone.

"You really fucked up. You know that, right?" Jeremy says sadly.

Charlie buries her head in her hands, "Yeah, I'm aware." She takes a deep breath, "I told him I'm sorry. I don't know what else I can do." She won't look at Jeremy. She can't. Charlie is so close to falling apart, she isn't sure she can take whatever emotions she'd see in his face.

"I know this is tough. I'm not trying to make it worse."

She shrugs. "Not sure you could even if you wanted to. Doesn't matter. I shouldn't be here." Charlie downs the drink Nora gives her quickly.

Charlie turns and is on her way back to Connor when she sees the redhead now perched on Bass's lap. Charlie takes deep breaths, trying to keep from breaking down in front of everyone.

She makes it to Connor's table. "I have to leave. I'm sorry. I can't be here, okay?"

"Sure. Let's go." Connor stands, placing a supportive hand on his cousin's back. This had been his worst idea ever. He hates that he's put Charlie through more pain.

They are almost to the door when the girl with red hair sashays by. She looks at Charlie with a smirk. "Hey, I just wanted to say thanks."

"Thanks for what?" Charlie asks, at a loss.

"Well, if you hadn't been such a stone cold bitch to Bass, I wouldn't be having so much fun with him now."

Connor feels a shiver of apprehension as Charlie tenses.

"Having fun with him now?" Charlie asks coldly.

"Oh, so much fun…but then you of all people would know what he's like…what you're missing. Your loss was my - "

Charlie doesn't hesitate. The right hook that knocks Red right off her feet comes with no warning. "I know exactly what I've lost, you stupid whore."

Jeremy had been standing not far behind Charlie, and he steps in quickly. "Shit, girl. We're gonna need liability insurance just to cover all the ass-kicking you give our customers."

"That won't be necessary." She meets his gaze now, and Jeremy sees the anguish in her eyes. It is raw and deep. "I won't be back." Then she turns, stepping over the girl's prone form before walking out the front door without a backward glance. Connor follows her out.

Will is there in seconds, standing over the girl who is crying and holding her face. Miles stands nearby, shaking his head.

"You have a death wish?" Will asks the girl on the floor. "What were you thinking?"

Red whimpers something that none of them can make out. Bass steps around her without even glancing down and heads out the door to find Charlie, his expression grim.

"Oh hell." Miles says, tossing his bar rag aside. "Nora, cover the bar!" he yells before following his brother out the front door.

Miles rushes out, and runs right into Bass, who had stopped short just outside of the bar's entrance. Miles follows Bass's gaze which is glued to the curb where Connor has his arms wrapped around Charlie. Her shoulders are shaking and when Connor looks their way; his gaze is full of disgust. "Go back inside. She doesn't want to talk to you."

"But I need to talk to her." Bass says, his voice is raw.

Miles puts a hand on Bass's shoulder, "You sure that's a good idea?"

Bass shrugs away from Miles, "Yeah." He walks toward them.

As he approaches, Charlie pushes away from Connor. She whirls to face Bass head on, tears streaming. "I'm not sorry I hit your girlfriend. She was being a bitch."

"She's not my girlfriend." Bass wants nothing more than to reach out and touch Charlie – to comfort her, but he just can't. Even though she is clearly upset – maybe even as upset as he is, he can't forget what she's done.

"Girlfriend, friend with benefits, hooker…whatever she is, I am not sorry. The truth is she's lucky I left before beating her into a coma." Charlie can't look at him anymore and turns. "I shouldn't have come at all."

"That was my fault." Connor says, looking at Bass. "Dad told me you wouldn't be here. I thought she could use a distraction." He's clearly very upset about his role in how this evening has turned out.

"Miles was right. I wasn't supposed to be here. Had a last minute change of plans." He looks at Connor and then at Miles, "Can you give us a minute?"

They are both hesitant, but Miles finally nods. "Come on Kid. Let's give them some space." Miles leads Connor back inside, leaving Bass and Charlie alone by the curb.

"She's not my girlfriend." He says again.

"Whatever."

"She's not my girlfriend, but neither are you." He sees her stiffen, and knows he's hitting a nerve but can't seem to stop himself. "The difference is that she's never lied to me about who she is or what she wants." He feels a lump rising in this throat.

Charlie sucks in a ragged breath and turns to face him, "I can't keep telling you I'm sorry, and there is literally nothing else I can do to change things so there isn't any point in continuing this conversation. After all, like you said – I'm not your girlfriend. I'm not your anything…"

"You could have been." He whispers hoarsely.

"No. It was doomed from the start. Go back inside. I didn't hit her that hard. She's probably already ready to climb back into your lap."

"Jesus. I told you she's not anything to me. She's just a random chick. I'm not fucking her."

"You also made it clear that it's none of my business if you are, so don't let me stop you. Knock yourself out."

They stand in silence for a while, just staring at each other. Finally he says, "I don't want her."

Charlie's cab pulls up and she wrenches open the door. "Who you do or don't want is no longer my concern. I'm sorry I came here tonight." She looks into his eyes and it takes everything she has not to break down. "It's not a mistake I'll make again." She gets in and closes the door without waiting for a response.

As the cab pulls away, Bass feels his gut clench with loss. He turns and walks back into the Blackout. He finds a seat at the bar and motions Nora over. "Keep em coming."

Jeremy takes the stage and heads straight for the piano. He begins playing softly before pulling the mic close and speaking, "So I haven't done a solo for a while. Decided it was time." His voice is a clear tenor and his skill with his instrument of choice is on full display as he plays.

**Well you only need the light when it's burning low **

**Only miss the sun when it starts to snow**

**Only know you love her when you let her go**

**Only know you've been high when you're feeling low **

**Only hate the road when you're missing home **

**Only know you love her when you let her go**

**And you let her go**

Bass rubs tiredly at his temples. He hates this song. He hates how appropriate it feels. He wishes Charlie was here, but yet he's glad she's gone. His head is throbbing with the whirlwind of emotions he's feeling.

**Staring at the bottom of your glass **

**Hoping one day you'll make a dream last**

**But dreams come slow and they go so fast **

**You see her when you close your eyes**

**Maybe one day you'll understand why **

**Everything you touch surely dies**

**But you only need the light when it's burning low **

**Only miss the sun when it starts to snow**

**Only know you love her when you let her go **

Bass closes his eyes, remembering her touch and her smile. He remembers the way she listened and the way being with her made him happy, but he also remembers how she lied.

**Only know you've been high when you're feeling low **

**Only hate the road when you're missing home **

**Only know you love her when you let her go**

**And you let her go**

"Where is she?" Connor demands when he approaches Bass a little later.

"She got in a cab and left." Bass answers without looking at the younger man.

"Was she okay?"

"How the fuck should I know? She looked upset, but maybe it was an act. I don't know how to tell."

Connor steps close. His face moving close to Bass's. He snarls, "You need to stop being such a little bitch and realize that she's hurting too."

Bass sits his glass down carefully before turning to Connor, "Are you sure you want to call me a little bitch? I'm not exactly in a great mood tonight."

Jeremy and Will have moved in, ready to break things up if a fight erupts.

Connor smiles, but there is no humor in it. "You think you have the monopoly on betrayal? You think you're the only one who is hurting right now?"

Bass stands, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "I did not betray her. I did not lie to her."

"No, you didn't, but when you found out who she was you didn't ask her why she lied. You didn't ask why she left both a successful career and her closest family to start over on another continent. You didn't let her explain anything. "

Bass is pissed. "You have no idea what you're talking about. She had a lot of chances to tell me the truth. She chose not to."

Connor shakes his head, "I'm not saying she shouldn't have told you sooner. But when the truth came out, you couldn't run away fast enough. She wanted to explain..." Connor is breathing heavily after his outburst.

"Explain what? That she thought she could pull one over on stupid old Bass? Pretend she didn't know me so I'd fuck her?" Bass asks.

"It was nothing like that, and I don't think you believe that it was."

Miles shakes his head, "Let's all calm the fuck down. Bass, you know Charlie wasn't trying to be devious. That's not who she is. I for one want to hear what Connor has to say. He's been spending a lot of time with Charlie since all hell broke loose. Maybe he can help us understand what's going on."

"It's kind of a long story." Connor warns, sitting down next to Bass.

"We're not going anywhere Kid." Jeremy says. Will and Miles agree. Bass won't look up.

Connor takes a deep breath, "Charlie is really smart…"

Will nods, remembering what Neville had told them, "Yeah, we know. She's crazy smart like Rainman."

Connor scowls at Will. "She's a savant, not an idiot savant – you dick."

"Sorry." Will shrugs, "Go on."

"Anyway, after she finished her masters, she decided to take a year off and do something different. While she was working on her thesis, she'd come across some tech journals that featured Artificial Intelligence research being done by this guy Aaron Pittman. It intrigued her."

"Pittman is the Google dude?" Jeremy asks, "My firm made a lot of money because of him."

"Yeah, the Google dude. She tracked him down and begged for an internship. He finally agreed even though she had no background in programming. So she brought him coffee and shredded papers and whatever interns do, but in her spare time she also started to dig into his earlier work on AI. Over the course of her internship, she expanded his research. When she finally showed him what she'd come up with, he was stunned. She had used his idea as a foundation. Using that as a base, she had created a new technology that she hoped could assist scientists searching for cures for cancer and Alzheimer's. Stuff like that."

"Charlie was trying to cure cancer?" Miles mutters to himself.

"They were really close to having all the bugs worked out, but she hit a snag and needed help with some of the advanced physics. Aaron by then was completely on board with her work and the two had become really good friends."

"So, she needed help?" Miles prods.

"Yeah, Charlie is crazy smart but her Mom had a lot more experience with the type of physics this project dealt with, so Charlie took their work to her Mom and asked for her input."

"And?" Miles asks, sensing the answer isn't going to be good.

"And her Mom said she'd love to help and they spent the next two years working on the problem. Charlie and her Mom split the Think Tank's scientists into two teams. Pittman quit Google and started working with Charlie full time. They lived and breathed their research. Uncle Ben worked on other projects and left this to Rachel and Charlie and their teams."

Bass is staring into his drink, "Rachel screwed her over, didn't she?"

"Yeah, she did." Connor admits.

"Never did like Rachel." Will says.

"Aaron and Charlie had their goal – the curing cancer thing, but right down the hall, Rachel's team had a very different goal in mind."

"What was Rachel's goal?" Miles asks.

"Rachel had never told Charlie, but she'd been doing some projects on the side for the US Government. Instead of moving forward with the healthcare angle, she came up with a way to weaponize a tweaked version of Charlie's technology."

"Oh shit." Miles groans.

"Yeah, shit. She went behind Charlie's back and sold her weaponized version to the Department of Defense."

Bass is reminded of the day they'd spent talking in bed – the way Charlie's eyes had darkened at the mention of her mother. The way she'd changed the subject when he'd asked about her family. "So she left it all behind?"

"Well, at first she hoped to salvage the original version of their work, but without the piece that Rachel had lied about working on, it was a lost cause. Charlie and Rachel had this huge fight and Rachel told Charlie to leave…kicked her own daughter out on her ass after screwing her over. Rachel wouldn't even let her take any of her research or papers or anything. Said it was all property of the think tank. Years of work was lost. Charlie couldn't believe it. They'd never been close, but this was more than she'd thought her Mom was capable of."

"So then what?"

"Charlie locked herself in her apartment for a couple weeks, researching where she could go and what she could do next. She's a tough girl. Most people would curl up under a table and die. Not Charlie. She bounced back and found a research job here in Chicago. She left Belgium without speaking to her Mom again."

"What about Saint Benjamin? No way would he let his kid just leave like that." Jeremy asks.

"Well, Uncle Ben and Danny both tried to get her to stay there and work things out with her Mom, but Charlie was just done. Rachel even emailed her a few times saying she was sorry. Charlie never bought it."

Bass doesn't say anything, but it's clear that he's listening.

Connor forges on, "My Mom died right as Charlie was moving back. That was the only reason we didn't know all that had happened over there, or that she was going to move back at all. She said she didn't want us to worry about her when we had all that other stuff going on. Her only goal was finding a fresh start."

"That's why she lied about who she is?" Will asks, clearly skeptical.

He shakes his head no, "She didn't know Dad would stay in Jasper with me as long as he did. She thought he'd be here when she arrived. The lie about her names was a spur of the moment thing – and not even really a lie. Danny has always called her Lee. Anyway, when she learned Dad was out of town, she said she just had a random thought about how nice it would be to be anonymous for a while. That's really all it was."

Bass grunts and takes a deep drink.

"She definitely didn't plan on actually falling for this dumb fucker. She didn't even know he was here." Connor points at Bass. "She actually had a thing for him when we were kids – you know? Like big time. You would not believe how many of her notebooks had "Mrs. Bass Monroe" doodled in the margins. Anyway, when she saw Bass was here too, she just figured she'd flirt a little and then when Dad got back and Bass found out the truth, they'd all get a laugh out of it. She said that her feelings for him changed pretty quickly and then she didn't know how to come clean."

The guys are all watching Connor, digesting what he's shared. He shrugs and stands, "I'm not telling you what to do, Monroe - but maybe cut her some slack. That's all. She's not the evil lying bitch you seem to think she is."

After Connor leaves them to go up to Miles's apartment, Bass runs his hands through his hair. He turns to his friends, "What should I do?"

Miles shakes his head, "We can't help you with that Bass. You have to figure out what you want."

Jeremy frowns, "And if you can forgive her or if you even want to try."

Will shrugs, "Maybe you just have to decide which is better – sucking up your pride and forgiving a woman you love or being alone and miserable and wallowing in self pity, you know, forever. My vote is for the second one, but no pressure."

"I never said I loved her."

Jeremy exchanges glances with Miles and Will. "You didn't have to Bass. We know you."

Bass pushes his empty glass away and stands without answering, "I'm going home." He leaves the bar and starts walking down the street toward his place. He's a half block down the street when Miles catches up with him.

"Hey Bass, wait up."

"I'm sorry Miles. I get that she's hurting or whatever, but that doesn't change anything. Not really."

Miles nods, "I didn't follow you out here to talk about Charlie. I meant what I said in there. The way that you deal with that is your call, brother."

"So what do you want?" Bass looks beyond exhausted and not really in the mood to talk.

"I have something for you." Miles holds out a pink box. "Connor found it when we were back home going through Emma's stuff."

Bass takes the box hesitantly, "What is this?"

"It was in her closet. I know you thought she didn't really respond the way you thought she should after Savannah died, but –"

Bass feels like he's being kicked while he's down, "I never blamed Emma for any of that."

"No, you didn't blame her, but we both know things were never the same. You were so angry and her parents were always around, so you guys never talked. I think sometimes you questioned her grief. Wondered if she was hurting as much as you were."

Bass stares into the darkness. He doesn't say anything.

Miles forges on, "I guess I never knew for sure either. But I'm sure now. She was hurting too. She never stopped."

"I don't understand. What is this?" Bass holds up the box Miles had handed him.

"It's where she stored the things that reminded her of Savannah… little booties and her birth certificate, stuff like that. There are pictures and she kept a journal…"

"Pictures?" Bass asks, his voice breaking. He never had any pictures of his daughter. Emma's Dad had told Bass there weren't any.

"Yeah. Anyway, it's all yours now. Okay? And maybe some time you can talk to Connor about all of it. He had a million questions. He even wanted some of the pictures but I told him that they should go to you first."

"He wants pictures?"

"I know he probably came off as a real dick tonight but Charlie means a lot to him. They've been close their whole lives. This…" Miles points to the box, "This is separate from the stuff with Charlie. He may have never known her, but Savannah was his sister."

Bass nods numbly, staring at the box.

Miles pats him on the shoulder. "You're gonna get through all this – the Charlie stuff and the Emma stuff."

"Yeah," Bass says with little conviction. "I just gotta figure out how."

* * *

**A/N "Let Her Go" is a song performed by Passenger. The singer has an unusual voice, but this song is amazing. I highly recommend giving it a chance if it's new to you. Lyrics by Michael David Rosenberg**

**So the sad stuff was meant to be limited to chapter 6, but as I was writing 7 (and my word count became double what it had been for any other chapter in this story) it became clear that what I had planned to be chapter 7 really needed to be split into two chapters. The bad news is that our favorite couple has not yet reconciled. The good news is that Chapter 8 includes the happy stuff that this chapter lacked as well as reconciliatory smut AND its already almost finished, so the wait will be brief. **

**Please review if you have a minute.**


	8. Chapter 8: All of Me

**A/N: Here you go, you lovely creatures…. I dedicate this one to anyone who has left a review or sent a PM or just read silently. You guys really are amazing. And just so you know….there's only going to be one more actual chapter and then an epilogue so we're on the home stretch. Thanks again to Romeokijai for the prompt/request. I have had a BLAST writing this story. **

**Please note that this is my second new chap in 24 hrs for this story (not the norm for me) so if you haven't read Chap 7, please go back and catch up now or the rest won't make sense. **

* * *

Chapter 8: All Of Me

When Bass walks into the Blackout the next night, he's still a little sad and conflicted, but he's doing better than he has since first finding out Charlie's true identity. He feels some hope that maybe things will get better.

Bass had been a mess when he'd gotten home the night before with the pink box. He had stayed awake till daybreak, looking at photos of his little girl and her tiny inked footprints. He'd run his fingers over the name on her birth certificate and kissed the lock of hair that Emma had saved. What had taken the longest to get through – and the biggest toll on his psyche - was Emma's journal. He had to stop reading several times to get a grip. Emma had written a lengthy entry on Savannah's birthday every year. The grief and loss that she had suffered was evident on every page and had certainly never dimmed with time.

Finally Bass had fallen asleep and had ended up sleeping most of the day. When he woke it was with the same thought he'd fallen to sleep with. Miles was right. Emma had grieved just as much as Bass had over the loss of their daughter.

Maybe if Bass would have ignored Emma's folks and went to her directly – maybe they could have gotten through some of it together. He has no illusions about their relationship because nothing would have turned that around. He wonders though if maybe the grief would have been easier for either of them to bear, if they'd went through it together.

If only he'd reached out. If only he'd asked her to tell him how she really felt, but of course he never had. Bass tries to shake the guilt as much as he can.

What's done is done.

* * *

Now that he's here at the Blackout, Bass glances around until he spots Jeremy. "Hey." He says, walking up to his old friend.

"Hey yourself. You almost look human tonight. Gonna sing? Haven't heard you since…well, it's been a while."

Bass shakes his head, "Not ready yet." He's lost in thought for a moment but nods toward the bar, "Ready for a drink though. I'll talk to you later."

"So you'll be around tonight?" Jeremy asks.

Bass shrugs, "Got nowhere else to be."

Jeremy waits till Bass is busy ordering a drink from Nora before he gets Miles's attention. They'd spent the afternoon working on a plan. Clearly the time is right. Jeremy nods twice at Miles. Miles responds in kind. They both turn to Will. He's leaning against the juke box, talking to some guys. He nods when he gets the signal and quietly leaves the bar.

Tonight is the night.

* * *

Charlie is not concentrating although she's been staring at the same piece of paper for twenty minutes.

Last night had been rough. She'd left the Blackout in a daze. It was well after dark when Charlie had arrived at the warehouse she and her team have been working in, and where Charlie has been sleeping for the past week. Aaron had been there as well, pouring over some old books and taking careful notes at his desk. As soon as he'd seen his friend, his worry had ratcheted higher. She looked like hell.

They had talked for a while though Charlie wouldn't say much. Seeing how tired she was, Aaron had given her one of his sleeping pills in hopes that she could get some rest. She had eventually fallen asleep and slept fairly well till morning.

It's been a busy day, and that – along with finally getting a decent night's sleep for a change – has helped, but she still struggles to focus. Her mind is playing back the first time she'd seen Bass sing, and also the last time he'd sang to her, when they'd held each other and cried. She takes in a shaky breath and tries to focus on the paper in her hands once more.

"Hey, uh Charlie?" Aaron asks, poking his head into the storage room where she's been working.

"Yeah Aaron?" She hasn't seen him in several hours, and is surprised to see him now. They both have a long list of tasks that need to be done, as do each of the other members of the team.

"You've got company." He looks oddly on edge.

"Here?" Charlie is at a loss. Nobody should be visiting her here. Nobody should even know that they are here.

"Yeah, and he's adamant that he sees you. I would have told him no, but…"

"But what?" She asks.

"Well, he scares me a little. That's all." Aaron shrugs, embarrassed.

Charlie tries to hide a smile. She sees relief on Aaron's face. Even if it's at his own expense, he's glad to see that smile. "Did he give you a name?"

"Yeah, said his name is Strausser. Will Strausser."

Charlie's smile falters. For just a moment, she'd hoped Bass was her mystery visitor. The disappointment is acute, but she nods, resigned. "Okay, let's go see what he wants."

Aaron and Charlie make their way confidently through the maze of corridors and within minutes they walk through heavy metal doors into what they jokingly call the 'vestibule'.

Will is looking around the room which is dingy and dirty. Stacks of moldy boxes line one wall. Rotting newspapers are strewn around the floor. "What the hell is this place, Charlie?" he asks with a sly smile.

"Just a place where we do some of our research." Charlie says. "How did you find me?"

"Followed you last night. Jeremy was worried about you, so I got on my bike and followed your cab here."

"Okay. So what do you want tonight? Why are you here now?"

"Is there some better place we can talk? Maybe inside there?" he points hopefully to the heavy doors that Charlie and Aaron had walked through.

"There's nothing in there. Just more of the same." Aaron motions to the room they are all standing in. "This is as good as anywhere."

"Well, that is surprising indeed." Will smirks. "Now, I'm no scientist, but this doesn't seem clean enough for research of any kind."

"Well…" Charlie starts, but Will forges on.

"And then there's the matter of twelve foot high fences surrounding this place, the top five feet of which are razor wire." He's grinning now, "That's better border fencing than they have at the prison I work at. What exactly are you guys doing here, really?"

Charlie shakes her head tiredly, ignoring his question, "Fine, we can talk in my office."

Will follows them through the heavy doors into an immaculate hallway lined with plain grey doors – all closed. The walls and floor are concrete. The hallway is long but the walls go up at least three floors and the ceiling is glass. The numerous skylights allow in some of the full moon from outside. "I knew it." Will mutters, looking around with a grin.

"You knew what?" Charlie asks as she opens one of the doors with a big silver key. The men follow Charlie inside her simple office.

"This is some kind of bunker, isn't it? That front room is a decoy…you want to make people think this is just some old abandoned warehouse?"

Aaron shuffles his feet nervously but Charlie doesn't bat an eyelash. "I have no idea what you are talking about. Now, why are you here?"

They sit in simple chairs around a long table. Will notes sturdy iron candle holders fastened to the walls in regular intervals all around the room. Similar fixtures had also lined the hallway. He has a million questions, but can tell by the stubborn tilt of Charlie's chin that he's not getting any answers tonight.

"Why are you here?" she asks again.

"Yeah, so Miles needs your help. He said you weren't answering your phone."

"I turned it off after last night… I didn't…" She shakes her head. "What does he need help with?"

"Nora is sick. Jeremy and I have to leave early tonight. Miles needs you to help him tend bar." Will shrugs, knowing how lame this sounds, but not really caring.

"And I'm the only backup you guys have?" Charlie sounds skeptical. "I don't really want to go back to the Blackout – not tonight, maybe not ever."

"I know. I know." He holds out his hands, "But we could really use the help. We don't have time to train someone new. Please? For Miles?"

"For Miles? Really."

"Yeah, for Miles." He answers, glancing around again. "Or I could just hang out here with you until you agree to come…"

Charlie can tell something is going on -something Will is not telling her, but she can also tell he's not the kind of guy who takes no for an answer and she really needs to get him out of here. She shrugs. "Fine. Give me a few minutes. I'll change and you can take me there."

"Take your time. I'll just look around." He smiles as Charlie walks out and then turns his gaze to Pittman. "So, you gonna tell me what you all are preparing for exactly? Must be something big."

Aaron stands, clearly nervous. "I, uh, have to go. Just stay here."

When Charlie returns ten minutes later, she is wearing cut offs and a snug Chicago Cubs tee shirt. Will has made himself at home near a book shelf that is stacked from floor to ceiling with books about gardening, survival, natural remedies, plant identification and other similar topics. He has four books balanced on his knees and is reading another. He glances up when she walks in. "These are great, Charlie. You have most of my favorites."

Charlie cocks an eye brow, "You like those kind of books?"

"Like them? Shit, I own copies of most of these. You do have some I've never heard of, though." He holds up one, "This book right here is THE reason I became a prepper."

"You're a prepper?" Charlie is clearly surprised.

"Oh yeah, ever since Y2K, I've been ready for just about anything. You should see my basement. The guys think I'm crazy, but looks like you might not think so, eh?" Will grins at her and she can't help but laugh a little in response.

Charlie feels a weight lifting. Her heart still aches with the whole Bass mess, but it feels good to have something else to focus on. She has a feeling that Will could be a good friend if given the chance. "Maybe someday we can compare notes. For now, do you mind keeping this between us?" She motions to the space they are standing in. "I'm going to tell them, but I'm not ready yet."

She sees his hesitation, "This isn't a lie, Will. This isn't in any way related to me telling you guys my name was Lee. I promise. This isn't personal. This is about my work."

"You're gonna tell them?"

"Yeah. Soon." She sighs heavily, "Very soon."

"All right. I won't tell as long as you promise you're going to."

"Thanks Will. I promise. Now let's go."

* * *

Bass and Jeremy are playing pool in the bar. Jeremy is pleased to see that Bass seems far more relaxed tonight. He's quiet – even more so than usual, but he doesn't seem as sad as he's been and as far as Jeremy can tell, he's only had one drink.

"So, you gonna tell me what happened?"

Bass glances up after taking his shot, "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know. Yesterday you were all pissy and 'woe is me' and today you're sort of acting normal…actually, not normal. You are downright mellow, which isn't normal for you at all." Jeremy pauses, "Shit, you took something, didn't you? Valium or some shit like that?"

Bass smiles at his friend, "Nope."

"What then? You and Charlie make up?"

A shadow plays across Bass's face and the smile fades, "Nope."

Jeremy sees the truth in his friend's expression, "But you've decided to give her a chance?"

Bass sighs, running a hand along his stubble covered jaw, "Maybe."

"What changed your mind?"

Bass doesn't speak for a long time. He takes two more shots, the last one wins him the game. As they are putting away their pool cues, he finally answers, "Emma. Emma changed my mind."

* * *

Jeremy knows the moment that Charlie walks in because he can see it all over Bass's face. He doesn't ever remember his buddy falling for anyone the way he has for her. Bass drinks her in, though she's making a pointed effort to ignore his presence.

"She said she wasn't coming back." Bass says under his breath.

Jeremy shrugs, feigning innocence, "Guess she changed her mind."

The bar is busy, and Charlie and Miles are soon swamped with customers at the bar. Bass sips his whiskey and watches her from his favorite table. She is polite to the customers but not flirty. She is kind but makes a point to keep each interaction brief. She never looks in Bass's direction once, although Bass knows in his heart that she is just as aware of him as he is of her.

The redhead that Charlie had punched the night before is back, but she steers clear of Bass and only orders drinks from Miles. The rest of the customers are regulars who all seem to know Charlie. It seems as if they all love her.

Bass takes a deep breath. He understands how they feel.

* * *

The traffic at the bar has slowed and Miles and Charlie finally have a moment to talk.

"So when does it start?" she asks her uncle without looking at him head on.

"When does what start?"

"The lecture that I've been waiting for since you got back? How I shouldn't have lied… how I should have told you I was here as soon as I arrived…how I shouldn't fuck your friends…" She glances up then and sees he's trying to bite back a smirk.

"Charlie, how long have you known me?"

"Uh, forever?"

"Have I ever been the lecturing type?"

She tilts her head as she replies, "I guess not."

"Well I'm not starting now. Didn't give Bass a lecture and I'm not giving you one either. You are both adults. Whatever is going on between you two is none of my concern."

"So you don't care?" Charlie is annoyed by Miles's lack of reaction.

He steps closer and puts his hands on her shoulders, staring into her eyes, "Of course I care, but I am not going to get in the middle of this. I love you. You're my blood, but he's family too, just a different kind. I don't want either of you to get hurt, but my yelling at you isn't going to help either way."

"So you want us to handle it on our own?"

"Yeah. Pull up your big girl panties and work this shit out. Okay?"

She smiles sadly, "If it were up to me and my big girl panties, this shit would already be worked out."

"He'll come around Kid. I'm sure of it." Miles pulls her close and gives her a hug. "And for the record, I love you even when you are fucking one of my friends."

Charlie laughs at that, grinning up at him. "Good to know."

* * *

Miles has just yelled out 'Last Call' when his cell phone rings. He talks for a few minutes and then whispers something to Charlie. She frowns, but nods and then Miles leaves. Charlie is wiping down the counter when Will and Jeremy come up to her.

"Hey, we gotta go too. Bass is going to help you close up, okay?" Jeremy is trying to act casual, but it's not working.

"Does Bass know he's helping me close?" She's skeptical. Clearly this is part of some elaborate plan these idiots have concocted.

"Yeah, we just told him." Will says.

"And no, he wasn't in on it. This is all our idea – well us and Miles." Jeremy clarifies.

"So much for Miles staying out of my business." she grumbles, but when she looks up and sees the way these two old friends are watching her with expressions full of hope and good intentions, she can't help but smile a little. "Fine. Get out. Go deal with your fake emergency. I got this." She flicks Jeremy's arm with the bar rag in her hand and they head toward the door with a wave.

She watches through the dusty window as they walk into the night with smug smiles on their faces. She clicks the lock and flips over the open sign before heading back into the bar. She glances over at Bass, wishing she felt as confident as Jeremy and Will are that things will improve. Bass had been watching her all night, but at the moment he seems far more intrigued by whatever is left in his glass. She starts to wipe down tables.

She saves his corner for last. Charlie assumes he'll get up at some point, but he doesn't. He just sits there, although he is watching her again. She's less than ten feet away from him when he finally speaks, "Did you really write my name in the margin of your high school notebooks?"

Charlie turns slowly to face Bass. This is the closest to him she's been since their blow up the night before. When they'd parted last night, he'd looked angry, sad and hurt. He seems to be none of those things tonight. Mostly he just looks curious and mildly amused.

"What?" she asks, certain she hadn't heard him right.

"Connor and I talked after you left last night. He might have mentioned something about you doodling 'Mrs. Bass Monroe' in your notebooks." Bass shrugs with a little smile.

"I'm going to kill him."

Bass's smile widens, "Maybe don't kill him. I think he meant well."

Charlie feels her heart beat surging. She's not sure where this change of heart has come from, but Bass's smile is a welcome sight. "Why were you talking to Connor anyway?"

"He wanted me to know that I was being a little bitch."

Charlie eyes go wide, "I'm sorry. I don't know why he said that."

"I do." Bass stands then, moving closer to where she is leaning against a table.

Charlie is at a loss, not at all sure what is happening here. She looks away because she just can't meet his eyes anymore. When she hears his voice again, it is softer and she almost thinks it's her imagination playing tricks on her, but then he says is again. "I'm sorry."

"Why would you be sorry?" she asks in a whisper, her gaze trained on his once again. "I'm the one who screwed up."

He steps closer, until only inches separate them, "I should have let you explain. I overreacted."

"No you didn't. You had every reason to be upset."

He runs his fingers down her cheek and under her chin, lifting it gently. Their eyes meet and the gaze they share if filled with all the emotions which have been building while they've been apart.

Charlie melts into Bass's arms. He pulls her close and leans in, pressing his lips to hers. This connection marks a sweet homecoming for them both. It is gentle and loving. He slides his tongue through her open lips and she buries her fingers in his hair. When they break apart moments later, he presses a soft kiss to her temple, "Maybe we can just agree to move forward and try harder next time to not let anything come between us again?" he asks, his lips soft against her ear.

"Are you sure you want to move forward with me?"

"More than anything. Charlie, I know this has all been fast and more than a little crazy, but I was lost without you. I can't go through that again, and I meant what I said. I am sorry, and I'm ready."

"Ready for what?" She asks.

"You said you wanted to explain, and I didn't let you. I want to hear what you wanted to tell me."

Charlie takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. They sit down in one of the booths and she talks. She talks and he lets her as he holds her close. Every now and then he asks a question, but mostly he just listens. She tells him about her work and her family. She tells him about her Mother's betrayal and about how much she misses her brother. She tells him about coming to Chicago and her spontaneous decision to use a different name than her own. She tells him how surprised she was to see him that first night at the Blackout and how a lot of memories from her teenage years had come surging to the surface. She tells him about how she had fawned over him every summer she'd spent in Jasper.

"So you really did have a thing for me back then, huh?"

Charlie's cheeks redden, "Well if you really want to know, you were the first."

"The first what?" he asks her, eye brow cocked high.

"That night, after the pool party where I sat in your lap and kissed you…"

"Yeah?"

"Well, that night when I got home, it was the first time I'd ever, um…"

"First time you ever what?" He's grinning now, fairly confident he knows exactly what she's admitting to. "First time you touched yourself?" Bass slides his hands down to cup her ass, pulling her body closer to his own.

"Yes." She breathes out as he begins to kiss the column of her throat.

He bites lightly at her ear lobe, "You weren't the only one."

"What?"

"You weren't the only one touching yourself that night. I felt like a dirty old man."

Charlie smirks, "Well, I was only fifteen, so…."

He laughs with her, "Yeah, but you didn't look fifteen and you didn't act fifteen." He sighs, "I am so glad you're not fifteen now."

"Me too."

He's kissing her again, and this time things are escalating quickly. They have missed each other these last couple of weeks and now that they have worked through the worst of their differences, they both feel the need to reacquaint themselves with each other.

"Charlie?" His mouth is hot against hers.

"Yeah?"

"I want to do this."

"Yeah?"

"But not here." He whispers, biting down on her ear.

"What do you mean?" she asks, distracted by the feel of his hands roaming up and down her back.

"Want to take you home and make up to you properly." Bass nuzzles her neck. "Let's finish up closing this place down and then come home with me."

"Okay."

The Blackout has never been cleaned after closing as fast as it is on this night. They finish in record time, lock the door behind them and walk to his apartment over the gym, holding hands all the way.

Once inside his place, they barely make it to the bed before clothes are flying. Unlike the last time they were together, there is a mutual understanding that drawn out foreplay is unnecessary tonight. They both want the same thing and they want it now. Bass pushes her back onto the bed with a predatory grin. She motions for him to join her by crooking her finger and he doesn't hesitate, following her and covering her body with his own.

Bass's mouth is hot on hers and he slides home easily as if he belongs there, which of course he does. Charlie moans, arching her back and wrapping her legs around him, digging her heels into his ass. Bass thrusts and retreats over and over. He strokes her skin with his hands and sucks lightly at her flesh, never slowing the pace he's set with his hips. He lifts one of her knees higher, going deeper. She bucks against him, matching him thrust for thrust. The tension builds between them and they come together in a whirlwind of shattering emotion.

Sweaty and spent, they collapse into each other. Wrapped loosely in Bass's soft sheets, they cuddle and caress. Charlie's head rests on his chest and he strokes her back. "I want to sing to you." He says, his face burrowed in her hair.

"You do?" she smiles.

"Yeah, I do." He grins, playfully pushing her to the other side of the bed where she props herself up on one elbow to watch him. Bass leans over the side of his bed and pulls an old acoustic guitar from underneath. He strums it softly, holding her gaze as he begins to sing. Charlie's heart catches at the raw emotion she sees in his eyes.

**What would I do without your smart mouth ** Drawing me in, and you kicking me out**  
**Got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down**

**What's going on in that beautiful mind ** I'm on your magical mystery ride**  
**And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright**

**My heads under water ** But I'm breathing fine ** You're crazy and I'm out of my mind**

**'Cause all of me ** Loves all of you ** Love your curves and all your edges ** All your perfect imperfections**

**Give your all to me ** I'll give my all to you ** You're my end and my beginning ** Even when I lose I'm winning**  
**'Cause I give you all, all of me ** And you give me all, all of you –**

"Hey I wasn't done." He laughs as she takes the guitar from his arms and sets it on the floor. She leans in to kiss him, lifting one naked thigh to straddle his lap. "That was so amazing. I love your voice Bass. I love hearing you sing to me. I love…" She kisses him softly.

He pulls away gently, looking deep into her eyes. "You love what?" he asks.

Charlie doesn't speak at first, her breath catches as her eyes bore into his. "You, Bass. I love you." She isn't sure what he'll say or how he'll respond, but she needs him to know how she feels.

He pulls her close, until they are nose to nose. "Love you too Charlie. Love you too."

"Mmmm." She grins. "I can't tell you how happy I am to hear you say that."

He smiles back at her, leaning in for a soft kiss, "Maybe you can show me?"

"Yeah, that I can do." She looks deep into his eyes and marvels at the love she sees there. Charlie kisses him slowly. He reaches up, cupping her breasts as she pulls the sheet from between them. Charlie grasps his cock reverently, stroking him from root to tip as she returns and deepens the kiss. Lifting her pelvis higher, she positions her wet heat over his shaft and slides slowly down.

"Jesus, Charlie." Bass moans as she begins to move up and down his length. He reaches around, squeezing the cheeks of her perfect ass as she rides him. They move as one, touching and stroking, until he feels his balls tightening and pulls her down hard. She breaks apart around him as he surges into her core with a roar.

Later they are sitting on the floor next to his bed. Charlie is wearing one of Bass's old tee shirts and he is in his boxers. They are feasting on peanut butter sandwiches, chocolate pudding in little plastic cups and raw carrots. He'd apologized for not having much variety in his kitchen. "Haven't been in the mood to shop for groceries lately."

"Well, I haven't been in the mood to eat lately, so now that I'm hungry it doesn't even matter. I'll eat anything."

"Oh really?" he shoots her a dirty look.

She grins, throwing a carrot at his head. "Maybe that can be dessert."

"I do love dessert."

After eating their fill, they snuggle up where they are, happy just to be together. Charlie is wrapped in his arms, his heartbeat thumping reassuringly under her ear. She feels relaxed and happy for the first time in a long time, just soaking up her time with Bass. Charlie glances around and her gaze falls on the old guitar. Something is carved in the side panel. She lifts her head and leans toward where the instrument is leaning to get a better look. "What does that say?" She nods to the guitar.

He follows her gaze, "Oh, that was the name of our band."

"Your band?"

"Yeah. Me, Miles, Baker and Will started a band when we were still seniors in high school. I guess technically we never broke up or whatever so it's probably still our band name though we don't say it out loud much these days."

"I can't read it. What does it say?"

"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." He answers with a grin. "Our groupies called us 4H."

Charlie shakes her head, "First of all, you better tell your groupies to take a hike because I don't share."

He laughs, "No problem. I don't share either. What's the other thing?"

"Other thing?" She suddenly looks distracted.

"Yeah, you said 'first of all'. What's second of all?"

"It's just that I find your band name a little odd considering…"

He sits up a little straighter, his smile fading. "Considering what?"

She doesn't answer for a minute, collecting her thoughts. "There's one more thing I need to tell you."

Bass frowns at her, "What?"

"You know I told you about my work, about how my Mom took it and changed it and sold it to the Department of Defense…"

"Yeah."

"Well, they have some pretty big ideas about how to use the technology she sold them. Aaron and I stumbled upon their master plan just a few weeks after we found out about the sale."

"Stumbled upon their master plan?"

"Well, Aaron is really good with computers…like really good." Charlie bites her lip and looks at her hands.

"Your buddy hacked the DOD?"

She nods, "We just wanted to see what they were going to do with our work because there were a lot of ways it could go. None of them were very good."

"And?"

"We were able to determine that they had a five year plan. So, we thought we had five years to prepare. The reason Aaron followed me here…the reason he brought my team here… is because he had miscalculated the data he'd found."

"Miscalculated by how much?"

"Well, we don't have five years. If we're lucky, we have a month."

"A month until what exactly?" Bass feels a chill roll down his spine as Charlie takes his hand and squeezes his fingers firmly.

"The end of the world as we know it, Bass. I would guess that some might even call it the apocalypse."

* * *

**A/N "All of Me" is a lovely song performed by John Legend. Lyrics by Toby Gad &amp; John Legend.**


	9. Chapter 9: I Want To Know What Love Is

**A/N For Romeokijai – here's the next to last chap. One more and an epilogue coming next. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 9: I Want to Know What Love Is

The noonday sun shines brightly as Will and Jeremy arrive at the Blackout. Both had left their respective jobs as soon as they'd gotten Bass's urgent message. Jeremy is dressed in a sharp black suit and carries a brief case. Will is sporting his prison guard's uniform. They both are more than a little concerned as they walk into the gloomy interior. Their eyes adjust to the lack of light and then they see Miles. He is leaning against the bar with his arms crossed.

Miles is clearly annoyed as they approach. "Bass disappears for two fucking weeks before calling a Baghdad SOS via fucking text message, and then he doesn't bother to show up?"

"He'll be here." Will says, trying to reassure Miles.

Jeremy agrees. "He wouldn't say there's an emergency if there wasn't one."

"I'm here. I'm here." Bass calls out as he comes through the door in a rush. "Sorry we're late." Charlie and Aaron Pittman follow just behind him. Aaron is holding a big cardboard box, which he sits heavily on top of one of the tables.

"Uh." Miles says, "Who's your fat friend, and why is he at an SOS meeting?"

Bass nods to Aaron, who is scowling at Miles, "This is Aaron Pittman, and we need him at this SOS meeting. If anyone is going to save our souls, it's probably him, so be nice."

Will grins and rubs his hands together, "This is it, isn't it? TEOTWAWKI?"

"Teo-what?" Miles asks with an irritated growl.

"It's an acronym that all the survivalist blogs use: The End Of The World As We Know It." Will is clearly excited.

"Yeah, I don't think that's what this is about." Jeremy says skeptically with a shake of his head. He turns to Charlie, "You guys ran off to Vegas and got married, didn't you?"

"Uh, no." Charlie says.

"Actually, Baker…Will isn't far off." Bass looks grim. "Sit down. We have a lot to discuss."

The guys push a couple tables together and everyone sits. Bass begins, "So, you guys remember what Connor told us about Charlie's work – "

"The artificial intelligence stuff with the Google nerd?" Miles asks. "What was his name again?"

Aaron raises his hand, "Aaron Pittman. AKA the Google Nerd. AKA the Fat Guy – that's me."

"Oh, sorry." Miles shrugs, clearly not all that sorry after all.

"Anyway," Bass continues, "The research that Rachel sold to the DOD is being used as a weapon, and it's going to impact all of us."

"What do you mean it will impact all of us? Why us?" Jeremy wants to know.

"Well, it's not just us in this room, I mean US, as in humanity."

"That doesn't sound ominous at all." Miles says, but he uncrosses his arms. Some of his earlier irritation is clearly giving way to concern, or at the least - curiosity. "So, how exactly is this weapon going to impact humanity? Are you talking nukes?"

Bass shakes his head no, "Not anything like that. Their official intent was to use the weapon on specific targets – small geographic areas… terrorist compounds in Iraq for example."

"But?"

"But, there is a group of people – some of whom work with the DOD – who have a different plan. Pittman was able to hack into their database. He found some communications that hint at a much bigger goal."

"But what does this weapon do? If it's not nukes, what?"

"That's kind of complicated. The weapon is made up of millions of microscopic machines…. Pittman, Charlie – maybe one of you want to explain this part?"

Charlie nods, "The version we developed was intended mostly for medical purposes. These tiny machines would be released in a human body and diagnose whatever might be wrong with it. It would isolate infections, cancers, whatever and attack them one by one without hurting the healthy part of the body."

"And your Mom's version?" Miles asks.

"It has a similar make-up, but its mission is very different. Her machines – we call them nanotech or nano – will also be released, but not just in humans. The whole world will be their target…."

Aaron jumps in, "But Rachel didn't program hers to diagnose or cure disease. Instead, this other bastardized version of the nano has just two commands to follow: absorb electricity and multiply."

"What the fuck does that even mean?" Jeremy asks.

Bass answers, "The power is going out. Not just here, but everywhere. The Earth will go dark, because these little machines are going to suck up the power, and they will continue to absorb the power forever. There's no turning back."

"So, their big scary weapon turns out the lights?" Jeremy asks, "That's it?"

"You aren't thinking on the right scale." Charlie says, "Think bigger. Think long term. This isn't going to be temporary and it will impact everything: transportation, communication, health care, the law, basic government.. It's all going to fall apart."

Will is pacing now, clearly his mind is working a mile a minute, "So this really is the end of the world as we know it. No electricity ever again?"

"It's not just electricity either. The Nano will suck batteries dry as well. We'll be thrust back hundreds of years where technology is concerned."

"Wait. Never come back on? I can't believe that a blackout could last forever." Miles says.

Charlie nods, "Believe it."

Miles shakes his head with a laugh, "No way. I'm not buying any of this."

Jeremy looks thoughtful, "Miles, maybe we should cut them some slack. Pittman is wicked smart and also like a gazillionaire. I invested a lot of my clients in his Google Landmine project - you know it – that house hunting software? Well, my clients raked in the profits on that. He's known in the tech and finance world as a guy who can do no wrong. I think we should believe him….and Charlie is no slouch. If she believes him…."

Bass nods, "I trust Charlie and Staypuft too."

"Staypuft? Like from Ghostbusters?" Will asks.

"Yeah, he reminds me of a marshmallow, but you know, a really smart one." Bass says, pointing at Aaron.

Aaron looks at Charlie with exaggerated pain on his face, "Hanging out with these guys is like living an adult version of every painful recess encounter of my grade school career. Are you sure we need them?"

"Yeah." Charlie says, patting his knee. "We need them."

Aaron nods, "Fine. Okay, you don't believe me? You don't have to. I'll make you a deal. Do as we ask. If we're right and the power goes out, you'll be safe. If we're wrong I'll write you each a check for $100,000."

"And, I'm in." Miles grins. "You should have lead with that."

Although everyone is now on board, they continue to ask questions. Aaron and Charlie answer them as best they can. Bass adds in his own insight from time to time and acts as a referee when discussions become heated. Connor and Nora both arrive and they get caught up quickly.

"So, one thing is bugging me." Miles says.

"Just one thing?" Nora mutters.

"What's your question?" Charlie asks her uncle.

"Why did your Mom sell you out? Not just you…but the world? I've known Rachel a long time and she can be a bitch, but this is extreme, even for her."

"Well, I don't think she understood the scope of their plan until it was too late, but the why is easy." Charlie sighs. "Danny was really sick. You remember? That's why we relocated to Europe to begin with. There were some promising clinical trials happening there."

"Yeah, I remember."

"Well, one of them was working. Danny was doing so much better, but then the trial lost its funding and went belly up. Danny got sicker right away. Mom and Dad were afraid we were going to lose him."

"What happened?"

"A guardian angel showed up at our door. At least that's what Mom called him. His name was Randall Flynn. He worked with the US Government. Personally, I always thought he was a creep, but Mom never saw past what he offered."

"What did he offer?"

"A continuation of the same drug therapy that had worked so well for Danny before. It came at a price, of course. Flynn wanted Mom to work on some top secret projects for the DOD. As long as she came through on her end, a box of meds appeared on our doorstep every month. She never told us what he was having her do. I didn't know that part of it till after she gave our research to them."

Miles nods slowly, "Okay. I'm on board. What do we do now? Seems like you guys have a plan…"

Bass takes over, "Aaron is going to give each one of you a packet. There's a checklist in it. Start getting the stuff listed on it together."

Jeremy takes his envelope and looks inside, "What's this for?" he holds up a key.

Aaron answers as he hands out the rest of the envelopes from inside his big cardboard box. "I've rented a U-Haul truck for each of you. They are parked in the empty lot around the corner. Pack your truck full and bring it to the address is on the checklist. Try to be there by noon tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? How fast is this thing happening?" Miles asks.

"We don't know for sure, but soon. We thought we had five years – " Charlie starts.

"But I'd done the math wrong. " Aaron continues. "We actually had a year. We came looking for Charlie as soon as the new time table became clear. We don't want to do this without her. Then I hacked into their system again and found that they've gotten a new source of funding which is bumping the whole project earlier."

"What he's saying," Bass says, "Is it could happen any day. We may not even have until tomorrow, but we're hoping."

Miles frowns at Charlie, "So the world is ending, and you knew this was coming…and you were working with the geek squad to set things right? So why did you leave them and come here in the first place? Shouldn't you have stuck around and helped them out?"

Charlie's face reddens. Bass wraps an arm around her shoulders as she speaks, "It was selfish. I know that. I'm twenty-five and I've had my nose in a book or behind a microscope since I was twelve. After my Mom did what she did, I just needed a break. I wanted to live a little before it all went to hell. I always figured I'd go back eventually. I really did think we had five years when I left them."

Will tries to lighten the mood, "For someone who always had her head in a book or whatever, you know how to tend bar and fight and…" he looks her up and down… "dance." He grins.

Bass shakes his head, "Enough of that."

Charlie smiles a little, "Well, that summer I spent in New York working for Google… I was really into the research but Aaron made me get out once in a while. I learn things pretty easily, so I picked up on the bartending by working part time at a little dive bar. I started taking martial arts classes when I was in junior high. Same with ballet."

"So you didn't just have your nose in books..." Will smirks.

She grins slowly, "You're right. I haven't missed out on all that much, have I?"

The conversation turns to things people should pack. Will is looking over the list, but glances up at Bass as an idea occurs to him. "Where have you guys been, anyway? Two weeks and not a word. We were kind of worried."

Bass pulls Charlie into his arms. "We spent the first week working through some personal stuff, and figuring out what we want."

"And what is it that you've decided you want?" Miles asks.

Charlie smiles up at Bass. "Each other."

"Finally." Jeremy says with a grin.

Will interrupts, "I have another question. Is it just us? Or are there more people who know the truth about this end of the world stuff?"

Monroe shakes his head. "Not just us. Charlie's team is doing last minute preparations. You'll meet them tomorrow. And we've spent the bulk of the last few days on Skype."

"Skyping with whom?" Miles wants to know.

Bass leans back, and grins, "Charlie and Pittman have a great plan for keeping us safe. You'll see that when you get to the warehouse, but once they filled me in I started to think we needed to do a little networking before the networks are - you know – gone forever."

"Networking?" Nora asks.

"Yeah, we reached out to some people who I know we can trust to help. It took a lot of convincing in some cases, and hardly any at all in others."

Jeremy smiles slowly, "People you can trust, huh?"

Will grins as well. "Ah hell. How many did you get?"

Even Miles is smiling as Bass begins to name names.

"Blanchard and Fry were on board first. They have promised to gatheras many retired military as they can. Frank was active for almost thirty years and he knows everybody. He estimated they can get a couple hundred at least, and he's pretty sure that number will grow exponentially when the lights actually go out."

Connor looks puzzled, "Who are Blanchard and Fry?"

Will laughs, "They were our CO and drill sergeant, respectively. They live in Texas where they retired a couple years back. Last I heard they were spending their days playing golf and their nights supporting the local hooker industry. Don't underestimate them though. They may be a little on the old side, but they are two of the toughest sons a bitches you will ever meet."

Bass nods, "Charlie's Grandpa is a doctor and he lives in Texas as well. We sent him to Austen to meet up with Blanchard and Fry. The three of them have already hit it off. Blanchard is staying in Texas to run the show down there. He's already busy rallying the troops, so to speak. Fry and Dr. Porter are on their way to Chicago now. Frysays they're bringing a loaded horse trailer so when the truck stops working, they'll just hop in their saddles and keep coming."

Miles chuckles, "Sounds like retirement hasn't been all it was cracked up to be."

"Nope. They were excited to say the least. Some of the rest were a little tougher to convince, but I'm happy with who all we did get."

"The rest?" Connor asks, intrigued.

Bass motions to Jeremy, Will and Miles, "The four of us did three tours in Iraq. We fought beside some of the best, and have kept in touch with them over the years."

"So, who else did you get?" Miles asks.

"Hudson, Baxter and Winslow are all coming to Chicago from their respective locations. Oliver and Wolfe are going to set up shop in St Louis. Slotnick and Wheatley are going to start an outpost in Philly. Wheatley heads up a civil war reenactment and says he is going to round up all of that crew. Knox, Lawrence and Alec are still down south. They're going to meet with Kelly in Atlanta and set up a stronghold there. Kelly figures she can get at least two hundred from the local veterans group to start. Like everybody else, she says more will come on board after everything goes dark."

"Veterans groups? That's a good idea." Jeremy says.

"I agree." Bass nods, "And that's why we've sent out emails to every American Legion Hall, support group and VA in the United States as well as posting notices on every American military message board that we could find. The messages are vague, but the gist is that when it all goes to hell… they need to find figure it will take a few months, but our numbers should grow quickly."

"How about out west?" Miles asks.

"Scanlon is in Vegas. Heruns a gym a lot like BassKicker, and he thinks he can get maybe twenty other MMA guys to join him to start. They're going to Sacramento. They'll meet up with Affleck, Burke and Starkey to set up a Californian contingent."

Connor looks skeptical, "This all sounds nice, but how are we supposed to communicate with all these different groups? Won't phones be dead when the power goes out?"

"We put together a packet similar to what you have in your hand, along with some survival books, penicillin, morphine, basic supplies, mapsand coordinates to each of the leaders. This should help us get started."

"Sounds like their packets are a little bigger than ours?" Jeremy asks.

Aaron shrugs, "Sent them each a Semi full of bare necessities."

"A semi?Holy shit. That wasn't cheap." Will comments, eye brows raised.

Aaron nods to Jeremy, "Like he said, I'm a gazillionaire."

"Wait a minute. Go back. What leaders?" Miles asks.

"Blanchard, Wheatley, Wolfe, Affleck, Foster…." Charlie says and then she glances at Monroe, "And Bass."

"Why is Bass a leader, exactly?" Jeremy asks with a smirk.

"Because without him, it would just be us. We'd be safe for now, but isolated and unprepared when phase two of Flynn's plan takes shape. The rest of all this was his idea."

"Phase two?"

"Flynn is part of a larger group. They want to take over by replacing the US government with one of their own." Pittman says.

Miles sighs, "And let me guess, Bass has decided we're going to beat them to it. He wants to build a new government before Flynn gets the chance… Maybe become some kind of President?"

Bass feels his cheeks redden slightly, but doesn't break eye contact. "Something like that, yeah."

Jeremy laughs, "Shit. This is just like Senior year."

"Exactly what I was thinking." Miles snickers.

"What happened Senior year?" Nora wants to know.

"Bass decided to run for class president. It was kind of a last minute decision, but he was gung ho. He forced all of us to pull all-nighters making campaign posters. Jeremy had to write his speech. He had us hanging fliers and making announcements. It was ridiculous." Will shakes his head at the memory.

"Did you win?" Charlie asks Bass.

He nods, "Of course I won. It was a landslide." His grin is contagious. "And I was a damn good class president too."

"This is true. He lobbied for lower hot lunch prices and shorter cheerleader skirts."

"And got both." Bass says proudly.

Miles forges on, "And he badgered the student counsel to completely change the plan for prom so that the Four Horsemen could perform. He blackmailed the principal into giving the seniors an extra study hall and he got Mr. Miller fired." Miles is grinning. "So, I guess what I'm saying is he'll probably do just fine."

"Yeah, we could do worse." Jeremy laughs.

Aaron smiles awkwardly, "This is all adorable, but time really is of the essence. Go fill your trucks. Don't bother bringing anything that needs batteries or a cord. Photos, books, mementos, keepsakes - that's the stuff you should pack. Oh, and guns. Really, weapons of any kind. I have some, but it won't hurt to have cold weather gear – coats that sort of thing. Boots and shoes. Oh, and if you take any prescription medication, leave that info with me now."

Bass stands and looks around at the gathering of friends, "You should also consider carefully the people you know who might be inclined to join us. Anyone we didn't think to reach out to. Call them. Send an email, whatever. You won't have to go into a lot of detail. Chances are they won't take you seriously when they hear from you, but they will remember that message later when things go wrong."

"What do we tell them, Bass?"

"Tell them to come to Chicago. Specifically tell them to come here to the bar. I'm going to paint a sign on the door."

"What will it say?" Will asks.

"It will say that the Four Horsemen have survived, followed by the coordinates of where we'll be."

Jeremy frowns, running a hand through his hair, "And where, pray tell, will we be exactly?"

Will stands, grinning. "The bunker - that's where you're taking us, isn't it?"

"Yes." Aaron says with a nod, "But we like to call it the Ark."

* * *

Bass parks his truck on the curb in front of the gym and he and Charlie spend the next few hours loading it. Bass packs all of his clothing and shoes, his guns, antique swords, all of his Civil War memorabilia and all of his books. He adds two full weight sets, a stationary bike, a regular bike and his Marine footlocker. The last thing he adds is a large cardboard box. It holds all of his framed pictures, some letters from his Mom, high school yearbooks and the Savannah box. "That's it." he says, closing the door with a bang. "What now?"

Charlie smiles, "How about we spend some time doing all of our favorite things that require electricity?"

He pulls her close, "Except that the thing I love doing the most doesn't require any."

"Oh, we'll do plenty of that too." She laughs as he kisses her softly. "Let's start with a hot shower."

He nods with a smile. "Sounds perfect."

* * *

An hour later they collapse on his couch in a relaxed heap. Bass runs his fingers slowly through her long damp hair. He watches her carefully. "You all right? You look sad."

"My family." She says simply.

"Oh." He'd been wondering when she'd bring up the fact that chances are good she'll never see them again. "You talk to any of them lately?"

"Dad called last night. Danny sent me a text. My Mom has tried to reach out, but I can't deal with her. I know it's almost too late, but I don't think I care. I'm a bad person."

"No. You're a normal person. A person with feelings.A person who trusted someone not to hurt her."

Charlie sighs, snuggling closer into Bass's arms. "Help me think about something else. Anything else." She pleads.

Bass nods, well you mentioned doing things that require electricity…"

"Yeah? What do you have in mind? Want to watch a movie?Sportscenter?"

He shakes his head, "Wait here." Bass disappears down the hallway.

Charlie leans back and closes her eyes. Her eyes pop open as music swells through the apartment. She smiles as she recognizes the first strains of _Black Dog_. "Zeppelin? I can't say I'm surprised you'd go with music for your last night of being plugged in."

"Yep, put my iPod on shuffle. We're gonna listen to all my favorites one last time while we play." He raises his eyebrows suggestively.

"You have a one-track mind." She says shaking her head.

"Nope. Not that kind of play – well, not right now. Maybe later..."

"Then what do you have in mind…for right now?"

Bass has been standing in the doorway with his hands behind his back. Now he reveals what he's been holding. "What's your poison? Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty?"Bass is watching her with a hopeful expression.

Charlie throws her head back and laughs. "PS4? Possibly the last night before the world goes dark, and you want me to kick your ass in Grand Theft Auto?"

He plops down beside her, "Call of Duty it is, then."

They play video games for the next hour. Both are very competitive and the play is heated. Bass wins but just barely. He laughs, tossing his controller aside. "That was too close. Good thing we can't do a rematch."

"We'll do a rematch." She says with a cocky grin, "But it will be with chess or Monopoly."

He pulls her close. "None of it feels real yet."

"I know."

"You really think it's going to happen tomorrow?"

" following day at the latest."

"So, tell me Charlie, what do you want to do tonight?"

She sighs, "I want to eat ice cream."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. That's it."

He gets up and goes to the kitchen, returning with a quart of Ben &amp; Jerry's and a big spoon. He sits next to her again, opens the carton and digs out a spoonful. He holds it to her lips and she opens wide, her eyes on his as she savors the bite.

"Mmmm, so good."

He takes the next bite, "It is good. This is good."

"This?"

"This. Us. We're good. I never would have thought that something so new could feel so…"

"Real?"

He nods, holding out another bite, "Yeah, real. We've only really known each other for a month or so, but I feel like I've known you forever."

"I feel the same way."

Their gaze meets and holds as they take turns with bites of ice cream. After a few minutes, Bass puts the spoon in the carton and sets it aside. "Do you know this song?" he smiles as the familiar tune begins to play.

"Yeah, of course I do. This is one of your favorites?" She's smiling back at him, but a little skeptical. "Wouldn't have figured this was your type of song."

"Maybe not before." He moves in close, his lips by her ear.

"Before what?"

Bass's voice is just a whisper, "Before you. This song never resonated with me until you came into my life. Right now, there is no other song that speaks to me the way this one does."

**I had to take a little time, a little time to think things over**

**I had to read between the lines, in case I need it when I'm older**

**Now this mountain I must climb, feels like the world upon my shoulders**

**Through the clouds I see love shine, it keeps me warm as life grows colder**

Charlie leans in closer, moving to press her lips against his. It's true that they haven't really known each other long, but they've already been through so much together. She feels a peace about their future, because she knows they'll face it together. The kiss is soft and slow. He molds her lips to his own, sliding his hands down her back as the kiss deepens.

**In my life there's been heartache and pain**

**I don't know if I can face it again**

**Can't stop now, I've traveled so far, to change this lonely life**

**I want to know what love is, I want you to show me**

**I want to feel what love is, I know you can show me**

Charlie wraps her fingers around his collar and tugs. Bass takes the hint, pulling the shirt over his head and tossing it aside. He then grips hers and does the same before pulling her onto his lap. She rolls her hips, feeling his cock harden even through the layers of fabric that separate their bodies. She leans in, her hair a cascade of dirty blond curls around his shoulders as she puts her mouth against his once more.

Bass reaches behind her back and smoothly unfastens her bra. Charlie shrugs out of the flimsy garment and throws in over her shoulder. Bass cups her bare breasts tenderly, stroking the softly rounded flesh and tugging lightly at the small pink peaks.

**I'm gonna take a little time, a little time to look around me**

**I've got nowhere left to hide, it looks like love has finally found me**

**In my life there's been heartache and pain**

**I don't know if I can face it again**

They know each other now. Their bodies move subconsciously as they stroke and touch. Everything about this joining is slow and sure. Their eyes lock as he pulls her up and leads her down the hall to his room. He slowly begins to remove her jeans, "You want me to turn down the lights?" he asks.

She shakes her head no as she shimmies out of her jeans. "We'll have the rest of our lives to love each other with the lights out. Tonight, we leave them all on."

"Works for me." He worships her body with his hands and his tongue. She writhes under his touch, loving the way he reads her like nobody else has ever cared to do.

**Can't stop now, I've traveled so far, to change this lonely life**

**I want to know what love is, I want you to show me**

**I want to feel what love is, I know you can show me**

**I want to know what love is, I want you to show me**

Both gloriously naked, they fall onto the bed. Hands are searching, pulses are racing. Bass moves to kneel between her knees, nudging them to spread farther apart. Wet, and ready; Charlie opens for him, wrapping her legs around his ass as he slides home.

Charlie moans with the sheer pleasure of being filled by him. Her tender core is swollen with desire and it adjusts slowly to the welcome invasion. Bass pumps into her tight heat with a steady rhythm and she pivots her hips to meet each thrust.

Bass's skin is covered in a sheen of sweat and Charlie is flushed. They are both closing in. Charlie comes first - her body a quivering mess of raw nerve endings as he begins to thrust more forcefully. He comes deep inside Charlie's heat only moments later, relishing the feel of her body clamping down around his cock.

They collapse into the sheets, breathless. Bass slowly pulls out and props himself up on one elbow at her side. "Charlie?"

"Yeah, Bass?" Her eyes are closed in contentment.

"I love you."

Charlie's eyes pop open. The words aren't a surprise really, but this is the first time he's said them to her. "You do?" She smiles slowly, showing lots of teeth and dimples.

When he nods, she snuggles closer. "Love you too Bass, and I think that whatever is coming next, we can handle it as long as we're together."

"Then we're gonna be just fine." He whispers against her ear, "Cause I"m never letting you go."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. The next (final) chapter will come along much quicker. Originally the content of this one and that one were meant to be combined, but alas...that was too much to cram into one chap.**

"**I Want To Know What Love Is" is an oldie by Foreigner. Lyrics by Alex Parks, Judie Tzuke, and Graham Patrick Kearns.**


	10. Chapter 10: When the World Ends

**A/N: Here it is...the final standard chapter of this story. It's been a lot of fun to write. Hope you all enjoy it - especially Romeokijai who prompted the original idea, and Iceonfire7 for helping me by previewing some of the chapters. Thanks guys.**

* * *

Chapter 10: When the World Ends

A new day dawns and Chicago is immersed in sound and light and activity. Sirens blare. Horns honk. Airplanes zoom overhead. Trains rattle by on the el. Fire trucks roar down the city streets.

It is just another day in paradise.

Charlie, Bass and Aaron welcome the latest arrivals to the bunker. Two teenage boys appear from within the warehouse and help unpack the trucks as they back into the loading dock.

Jeremy is the first to arrive with his U-Haul. It is packed full. He's brought his full wardrobe (which is impressive and includes three racks of suits). He's also brought three cases of cigars, his favorite golf clubs, his marine locker, six rifles, a complex bow, six handguns, various books and several paintings.

Miles, Nora and Connor arrive next with their trucks. They've brought clothing, tents, back packs, hiking boots, clothes, several guns, cases of ammo, Miles's marine locker and every unopened bottle of liquor from the Blackout. They've also brought the neon sign that had always hung over the stage. It says "Welcome to the Blackout."

Miles holds up a hand to Aaron, "Yeah, I know it won't work, Staypuft. I don't care."

Aaron just shrugs. "So, it's got sentimental value. I get it."

Miles scowls, "I am not sentimental. I just like the sign. Okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Okay." Aaron says, hiding a little smile.

Will pulls in next but Aaron is confused. "That's not the truck I rented."

The driver's door opens and Will disembarks. He walks up to the loading dock with a cocky swagger, wearing an ammo belt of .308 caliber bullets. Over his shoulder he has slung an M-60 that hangs on a sturdy strap. On his face is the biggest grin any of his friends have ever seen.

"Shit." Miles mutters. "You're like a kid on Christmas morning, aren't you?"

"Will, you crazy fuck." Jeremy says, laughing. "What's with the semi?"

"My ammo wasn't going to fit in that tiny truck, much less all my other stuff. I had a lot of shit to bring. You'll all thank me later."

"Might as well show us, Rambo." Bass says with a laugh.

Will pops open the lock and throws up the metal door, where it folds neatly into the roof of the trailer. Everyone stares. The semi-trailer is packed to the brim. It takes three hours and all hands on deck to unload.

"What is all this stuff?" Miles asks.

Will pulls a notebook from a back pocket and reads, "Sixty-four AK-47s, five Uzis, seventeen fully automatic machine guns, nineteen handguns of various makes and models, one hundred twelve grenades, twenty-seven pounds of C-4, a case of pepper spray, four cases of fuses, just under two hundred cases of various ammo, sixty-six prison guard uniforms, eighty-four sets of handcuffs, my lucky fishing tackle, and my personal collection."

"Personal collection of what?" Charlie asks, incredulous, "Nuclear missiles?"

"Nah." Will's grin grows impossibly wider, "Porn. If the world is going to end, so will the porn industry. It's like bringing boxes of cash…you know, cash that can also entertain me after the lights go out."

Aaron chuckles, "Porn. That's good. I'll admit that is one thing I didn't think of. The prison guard uniforms though… why did you have so many extras?"

"Well, I didn't have extras. Not really…but I did have a key to the storage room at the prison where I work. I borrowed some things. The handcuffs, the pepper spray, some of the rest. They won't notice anything is missing till tomorrow, and if you guys are right – missing uniforms is the last thing they'll be thinking about tomorrow."

"What are we going to use them for, though?" Nora asks.

"Well, if we're building a new government, we're gonna need an army or a militia…something. Right? We've reached out to every branch of the US Military and when they start rolling in, they're gonna look like a melting pot of crazy. That's assuming they even bring uniforms, which they might not do. This will give us a quick way to make things look official right off. We'll have to tear off the prison patch, maybe replace it with a new one. That's it."

They finish unpacking and Aaron announces that it's time to show everyone around. So far, the group has only been in and out of the warehouse connected to the loading dock. He locks the heavy steel door that closes out the daylight. Picking up a flashlight, he motions everyone to follow through the rows of boxes and crates that have been unpacked from the U-hauls and Will's semi. They reach another steel door and Aaron pauses. "I want to say thanks for all that you guys thought to bring. Every little bit will help, but I also want you to know that we've been working hard to stock up too. We won't have time to look at all of it today, but I'll give you a basic tour now."

Charlie helps him open the next set of heavy steel doors. The group stares into a pitch black cavern. Aaron reaches out to flip a switch and lights begin to flicker, slowly filling the space with a dim glow. Along the walls are hanging lanterns. They are dark at the moment, but will offer a light when the fluorescents in the ceiling stop working.

"Holy fucking hell." Will mutters.

Nobody else speaks at first. They can only stare.

Aaron smiles at their collective reaction, "Welcome to the Ark."

Rows and rows of boxes and crates and pallets lie in neatly stacked rows and they are piled high. The rows appear to go on forever.

"What was this place?" Miles asks.

"It was once a storage facility for O'Hare. There is enough room in this space alone to store five fully assembled 747s. There are three other storage rooms this size and two that are larger. They are all full."

"Of?"

"Every damn thing you can possibly think of." Bass says, shaking his head. He'd been given the tour a couple weeks ago, but is still in awe.

"The Ark is a huge facility as you can see. It is part of an even larger compound. Aaron has purchased all of the buildings and roughly twelve acres that surrounds it. He's filled the Ark with everything we could possibly need. Food, water, weapons, ammo, maps, candles, lanterns, firewood, medical supplies, books, gold."

"Gold?" Connor asks.

Aaron chuckles, "Yeah, diamonds too. Nobody is going to be accepting checks or debit cards, you know."

"How long will all this last?"

"Assuming we keep our current number of inhabitants, we could live within the Ark for maybe eight years without leaving."

"Where are we going to live exactly? I only see cement floors and steel shelving units. I hope you brought beds." Jeremy is frowning.

"Be patient. That part of the tour is next."

Bass pushes on, "We have four wagons that can be pulled by horses and thirty bicycles. Those will help us get around at first."

The group is on the move again, wandering down corridors of boxes and crates.

Will points, "This looks like a Sam's Club."

Aaron nods, "Seven of them actually, I bought the contents of seven Sam's Clubs - well except for anything that would require batteries or electricity. This flashlight is the only battery operated item in the Ark and it will be garbage as soon as the lights go out."

"It looks to me like there's even more here than seven Sam's Clubs." Miles says.

"You're right. I also bought out the inventory of a couple army surplus stores, a Home Depot, seventeen Illinois gun dealers and all the 78 and 45 records from Vinalgasm." He blushes a little at this admission.

"How are we going to play records?" Miles asks.

"I bought the spare inventory from the Chicago Museum of Technology. They get a lot of old stuff donated that they can't use. Treadle sewing machines, butter churns, meat grinders, corn huskers, spinning wheels, manual type writers and hand crank phonographs. Not every record will work, but a lot of them will."

"Shit." Jeremy says, clearly impressed. "But wait – why do we need butter churns and treadle sewing machines?"

"Oh, because we'll be using them. Those old machines are obsolete now because of electricity. This time next week, they'll be cutting edge all over again. In time we'll need new clothes, so the treadle sewing machines will be used then. I also bought several thousand yards of fabric - mostly denim and wool. Heavy duty stuff."

"Okay, but butter churns?"

"Well, I don't know about you." Aaron said, "But I like butter. There won't be a corner store anymore. If we want it, we make it."

"Shit."

"Yeah, and all of the old stuff has a second use that may trump the first in many cases." Aaron adds.

"What's that?"

Bass answers, "In a few years, people are going to be willing to trade whatever they have for some of that stuff. Hell, probably way sooner than a few years." He shrugs. "We may want what they have to trade."

"What about your money?" Jeremy asks Aaron.

"Well," he points to the area they are standing in, "I spent a lot of it, obviously. What's left will be worthless. I did bring enough gold and precious stones along to get us by for some time in the currency department - for probably a decade at least. By then we should be generating enough new wealth that we'll be on solid ground financially."

They've been walking as they talked, and now they've reached yet another heavy steel door. Aaron turns to them, "So most of our time won't be spent in the storage rooms, obviously. Here's where we'll live."

Aaron pushes the door open. The group files in and stares.

The space is as big as a high school gymnasium. It is long and open. The ceiling is broken up by skylights which let in natural light. Along the walls are large metal brackets that hold lanterns. Other lanterns hang from chains down the center of the room.

The back wall is floor to ceiling book shelves, fully stocked with every book any of them might want or need to read. There are two pool tables and several dart boards for entertainment. In addition, a tall shelving unit holds every popular board game in existence.

There is an old fashioned kitchen complete with two huge wood burning stoves, a hand pump and a large ice box. There are long wooden tables and benches for dining and a lot of overstuffed couches and chairs arranged in cozy groupings throughout the space.

Along one wall toward the back in a fully stocked bar. Miles laughs, "Now that's good planning, right there."

Nora sees where he's heading and points, "I am not tending bar in the apocalypse. You can all serve your damn selves."

"Look, there's even a stage." Jeremy says with an incredulous laugh. Sure enough a stage sits next to the bar. A piano, drum kit and several acoustic guitars sit there ready to be used. Small tables surround the stage so that a true bar experience can be had.

Aaron points to a staircase along the wall opposite the bar. The stairs lead to a catwalk that surrounds the entire room at the second floor level. Grey doors open from the catwalk in all directions.

"Bedrooms are upstairs." He points to similar doors that are in the walls around the large space. Behind these doors, you'll find the offices, the lab, the infirmary, the nursery and the class room. There is also a gym and a target range."

Connor cocks an eyebrow in surprise, "Nursery? Class room?"

Aaron nods, "Chances are we'll start repopulating the Earth sooner rather than later. Education as we know it is just a memory."

"What about food?" Nora wants to know. "Are we stuck with canned soup and dried beans?"

Aaron laughs. "Do I look like a guy who is willing to live off Campbell's soup? This warehouse is just the beginning. In addition to barracks for a decent sized army, we have a fully functioning farm on the back half of the compound. We have cows, chickens, some pigs, a smoke house and an Ice house. We also have twenty horses. On the roof we have a garden that will supply fresh vegetables."

"You did this all in the last month?" Will asks.

Aaron shrugs, "I don't think I can fully explain to you how much money I have..well, had."

The group is so wrapped up in their new surroundings that they don't notice anyone else has arrived until Charlie clears her throat to get their attention. "Hey guys, I want you to meet my team." Heads turn and a lot of sizing up begins.

Charlie introduces her team one at a time. "This is Dr. Bradley Jaffe and his daughter Eve." A middle aged man steps forward, wrapping an arm around his daughter's shoulders. He smiles kindly. "And this is Grace Beaumont. She and Bradley worked on the development of the Nano and know more than most how it works. Their goal is to find ways to get around it."

A curly haired blond steps forward with the two teenage boys who had helped unload the trucks. "I'm Dr. Maggie Foster. These are my sons Elliot and Caleb."

Charlie smiles, "Maggie and I have been working together to develop some drugs that we can produce and regulate in our new world. So far we've mastered a multi vitamin, basic aspirin, and insulin. We're really close to having a morphine equivalent ready, and we have ten other meds in the works. Unlike the rest of the doctors you'll meet today, Maggie is an actual MD and she's teaching her brilliant boys everything she knows."

Charlie points off to one side, "This is Peter Garner and that's Priscilla Pittman. They are both computer programmers and math geniuses. Priscilla is also Aaron's wife." Priscilla nods with a shy smile. Peter gives them a friendly wave.

"Over here is Dr. Jane Warren and Dan Jenkins. They are attempting to develop a new type of telegraphy that won't require electricity of any kind. It's very much a work in progress but we have high hopes. In his spare time, Dan tends to his carrier pigeons.

Will looks around, "Hey Staypuft, I don't want to be a spoilsport or whatever…I do appreciate all this, but you don't happen to have some spare single women around here somewhere?"

Aaron rolls his eyes, "No but we can go foraging for women later. Let's wait till the looting is over at least, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. We can wait."

"Sorry I'm late," A brassy brunette walks in then, scanning the newcomers.

"Speaking of women…" Will says appreciatively.

She smiles curiously, eying his ammo belt. "Hi, my name is Duncan."

"Duncan is – " Charlie starts, but Will interrupts, his eyes going wide with recognition.

"Wait, you're Duncan Page… Duncan 'The Last Page' Page. I check your blog every day and I've read your book like five times."

"What is 'The Last Page'?" Jeremy asks.

"It's a survivalist blog – probably the best one there is. If she's on our team, we'll be able to survive anything." Will is giddy. "It's so nice to meet you, Ms. Page."

Duncan smirks, "Like I said, call me Duncan. Nice belt, by the way."

Will walks closer to Duncan and soon the two are deep in conversation.

"Hey, I have a question." Connor asks the room at large.

"What is it?"

"What about planes?"

"What about them?" Charlie asks.

"Well, we're really close to O'Hare. When the planes start falling out of the sky, what's to stop them from crashing into your Ark and ruining everything you've built here?"

"Oh, well we took care of that this afternoon." Bass says with a grin.

"How so?"

Maggie Foster's son Caleb raises his hand, "My brother and I may have made some phone calls."

Elliot nods, grinning, "Like, a LOT of them."

"To whom?"

"To every urban airport in the United States. We implied that we'd planted bombs on some planes, but we were light on details. Last we heard, airports had grounded flights all across the country."

Charlie's cell phone rings and she steps aside to answer it. Bass senses Charlie's fear and moves up behind her, his hands resting gently on her shoulders.

"Dad?" Charlie asks, her voice breaking slightly.

Bass can't hear the other side of the conversation, but he can tell from Charlie's tone that this is the call they've been waiting for.

"How long?" Charlie grasps Bass's hand and grips it hard. "Yeah, we're ready. You?" The others have moved closer, also sensing that this conversation is important. "I love you Dad. Tell Danny I love him. Is Mom there?" After a long pause, Charlie speaks again, "Hey Mom. I know…. Yes, I love you too." She talks for a few more minutes and hangs up, clearly shaken. She looks up at all the staring faces.

"Charlie?" Aaron probes.

She sighs with a little shudder, "It's happening. We have maybe an hour."

Charlie's team has been planning for this for months and they go into action immediately. Lanterns are lit all around the perimeter of the room because dusk is settling quickly. Jaffee, Peter and Dan go to verify that all exits are secure. Jeremy, Connor and Nora sit down at the bar. Miles takes his place behind it because it's the only place he feels like he's going to be of use to anyone at the moment. He makes Jeremy a martini and pours a whiskey for the other two.

Suddenly the lights begin to flicker.

Will has been talking to Duncan. Now he looks up at his friends with a wide grin, "Shit's about to get real folks."

"You know what we should do?" Bass asks.

"What?"

"We should play a song." Bass answers. "The Four Horsemen should play the first song of the apocalypse. It's only fitting."

Miles nods, liking the idea. "So for years we've been playing live at the Blackout. Now we're gonna be playing live…. In an actual blackout." He digs something out of his back pocket. It's the picture of the four of them at Miles and Emma's wedding. He sticks in under the frame around the mirror behind the bar. "Let's do this." He says with a grin.

"Good thing we never did go electric." Jeremy laughs.

The four old friends take the stage. They talk quietly for a moment and then Miles and Bass both pick up guitars. Jeremy takes a seat at the piano and Will sits behind the drums.

The music begins to fill the space and Charlie's team moves close, intermingling with Connor and Nora and Charlie. Everyone listens, taking this for what it really is – a pivotal moment in all of their lives. Bass is the first to sing. He finds Charlie in the small crowd and his gaze locks on hers.

**When the world ends**  
**Collect your things**  
**You're coming with me**  
**When the world ends**  
**You tuckle up yourself with me**  
**Watch it as the stars disappear to nothing**  
**The day the world is over**  
**We'll be lying in bed**

Miles and Bass take turns singing the verses. The four old friends have played together forever and it shows. Their instrumentation is perfectly in sync. Miles sings the next verse.

**I'm gonna rock you like a baby when the cities fall**  
**We will rise as the building's crumble**  
**Float there and watch it all**  
**Amidst the burning, we'll be churning**  
**You know, love will be our wings**  
**The passion rises up from the ashes**  
**When the world ends**

**When the world ends**  
**You're gonna come with me**  
**We're going to be crazy**  
**Like a river bends**  
**We're going to float**  
**Through the criss cross of the mountains**  
**Watch them fade to nothing**  
**When the world ends**  
**You know that's what's happening now**  
**I'm going to be there with you somehow, oh...**

Bass and Miles begin to sing together flawlessly. The people in the room are entranced as the words hit home. Tonight is when their world is ending, making way for a new and unknown existence that lies ahead.

**I'm going to tie you up like a baby in a carriage car**  
**Your legs won't work cause you want me so**  
**You just lie spread to the wall**  
**The love you got is surely**  
**All the love that I would ever need**  
**I'm going to take you by my side**  
**And love you til the world ends**  
**Oh, but don't you worry about a thing**  
**No, 'cause I got you here with me**  
**Don't you worry about a**  
**Just you and me**  
**Floating through the empty, empty**  
**Just you and me**

Bass is singing solo again, his eyes hot on Charlie. They are both ready for whatever lies ahead, as long as they can face it together.

**Oh, when the world ends**  
**We'll be burning one**  
**When the world ends**  
**We'll be sweet makin love**  
**Oh, you know when the world ends**  
**I'm going to take you aside and say**  
**Let's watch it fade away, fade away**  
**And the world's done**  
**Ours just begun**  
**It's done**  
**Ours just begun**

**We're gonna dive into the emptiness**  
**We'll be swimming**  
**I'm going to walk you through the pathless roads**  
**I'm going to take you to the top of the mountain that's no longer there**  
**I'm going to take you to bed and love you, I swear**  
**Like the end is here**

Bass leaves the stage and pulls Charlie into his arms. It's been a rough day. She is exhausted mentally and physically and Bass wants to take care of her. There will be time for leading and decision making tomorrow.

"Some of us are going to the roof." Connor says to the guys, but his eyes are on Eve Jaffee. "Want to come up?"

Everyone trudges up the metal stairs past the second floor and on up to the roof. From their vantage point, they look out on a Chicago cityscape like nobody has ever seen before. Other than the sliver of moonlight and a few fires in the distance, everything is black. The silence is only broken by the occasional scream.

Nobody speaks. The mix of people on the roof represents the future of civilization, but in this moment they are each at a loss as the reality of what has happened truly sinks in. After a while the group retreats into the Ark where the booze flows freely – at least for tonight - and the music is live.

Charlie is nervous about the future, but she's got Bass. She's got Miles, Connor, Aaron and the rest of their friends and her team. Although the group may seem like an odd mix from the outside, Charlie is confident that things will work out. She will always miss her family, and it hurts to think that she'll never see them again. But these survivors make up her new family, and with them , she feels that they will more than survive.

After sharing a drink with their friends, Charlie and Bass excuse themselves and head to the room they will share. "I hope you don't mind." Charlie says, "I had them move all your stuff into my room. I probably should have asked first, but Bass - would you like to live with me?"

He looks around the simple room. The floor is concrete and the simple queen size bed has been made up with white sheets. The walls are lined with bookshelves. Bass notices that his things are interspersed with hers. He pulls her close, pressing a soft kiss to her temple, "Charlie, there's nobody else I'd want to spend the apocalypse with."

"You do not know how happy I am to hear that." Charlie says, kissing him. "What do you say we break in this blackout in style?"

"What do you have in mind?" he asks teasingly.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you know."

* * *

_We lived in an electric world. We relied on it for everything. And then the power went out. Everything stopped working. Many weren't prepared. Millions died. A small group of survivors had enough time and forethought to plan ahead. Thankfully this handful of brave men and women were ready to take over when the government collapsed – sharing a common goal – establishing normalcy and ensuring safety for all. _

_Most still don't know why the power went out. But we're all hopeful that together we will find our way through the darkness of this brand new world we call our own...  
_

END

* * *

**A/N: "When the World Ends" was performed by The Dave Matthews Band and lyrics were written by Dave Matthews and Glen Balard.**

**So I've wanted to do this for a while…start the blackout in an AU story, but I didn't just want to start the blackout. I wanted to do it in a way that gave Bass a chance to lead without going crazy (here he is surrounded by the woman he loves and his nearest friends). I wanted to give Charlie a chance to be strong from the start. I wanted to give Aaron a chance to use that damn 80 million dollars on something more than Charmin, and I really REALLY wanted to leave Rachel on another continent while allowing Maggie's kids to be with their Mom when the world went dark. I wanted Miles to be with his friends and family, but not be saddled with so much of the leadership duties. Here, they will be shared. I wanted Duncan to be a strong ally but not someone who would get between Charlie and Bass. I wanted Priscilla and Jeremy and Jaffee and Duncan and Nora and yes, even Will Strausser to live long enough to make a difference in this brave new world. Bottom line is that I wanted to create an all-star team who could stick together to create and even lead a new nation.**

**Not just lead a nation – but lead it against an invading force. And win. I think I've set the stage for that here. I will not write a continuation. This is the story I wanted to tell, and now I have told it. There will be a brief epilogue coming in the next couple of weeks. That little tidbit will give us all some warm fuzzy Charloe happily ever after goodness. The rest, dear reader, I leave to you and your capable imaginations.**

**I'd like to give a HUGE thank you to Romeokijai for the idea that got me started (Bass as a moody musician). I loved the idea and she's a peach of a person (and a wonderful writer as well – go check out her stuff right now if you haven't already). Most of all I am thankful that she let me run with her idea so that I could make it work for this blackout idea as well.**

**Secondly, thanks to each of you for reading, and especially for those who review or send private messages or favorite a story. I can't speak for all fic writers, but for me it is the feedback that keeps me writing. So, thanks. You guys rock.**

**On that note, please leave a comment if you have a minute. I'd really love to hear what you think.**


	11. Epilogue: Feels Like Home

**A/N Here it is Romeokijai - the wrap up for Open Mic. Sorry for the delay. Hope it was worth the wait. **

* * *

Epilogue: Feels Like Home

Two years post blackout – The Ark

Aaron Pittman sighs as he looks out over the children in his classroom. They are a noisy and rowdy bunch. "Let me have your attention." He says sternly. "Today we are going to discuss the differences between the Founding Fathers of the American Revolution and the Founding Fathers of the New American Revolution."

A young red headed girl in the front row raises her hand, "So, we're going to talk about my Dad today?"

"Yes, Ellie." Aaron says with a smile, "We'll definitely be talking about your Dad.

* * *

_In the early months following the blackout, life had been fairly predictable for the group of survivors who lived in the Ark. They had made daily treks to the outside world and surveyed the changes in the city. They had corresponded by courier and carrier pigeon with allied groups in other cities. Things mostly were going exactly as Bass, Charlie and Aaron had predicted._

_At first._

_Then things began to change. The biggest change had come one cool winter day when Will Strausser brought home the first of what they would all later call 'the strays'. He had walked in the main room of the living quarters and yelled for Dr. Foster. "Need your help, Doc."_

_Maggie had rushed over, with Caleb and Elliott at her side. The two boys were soaking up more medical training in daily life as their Mom's helpers than they probably ever would do in medical school. "What do you have, Will?" Maggie had asked._

_He nodded to the bundle in his arms. "Found her eating crackers in the back of a looted Trader Joe's. She won't talk. I think she's probably malnourished…"_

_Maggie tried to take the little girl from her savior's arms, but the resulting terrified wails changed her course of action. "You hang onto her and I'll give her an exam. Elliott, go find Duncan."_

_"Thanks Doc." Will said, clearly relieved to hear his woman would be joining them soon. He watched the little girl, who was maybe three, staring up into his eyes and in that moment Will fell totally and hopelessly in love. "I'm gonna keep her." He said simply._

_Will and Duncan named the little girl Diana (his idea because that was Wonder Woman's real name). Other than not speaking for those first couple of months, Diana was healthy and adjusted quickly to her new home and her new family._

_The night she had arrived, it was Jeremy who spoke what they were all thinking, "There must be a lot more kids out there with no parents…no place to call home." Aaron and Priscilla began to immediately plan a way to help these lost boys and girls. They decided to turn one of the warehouses into an orphanage of sorts with Aaron as their teacher. Priscilla and Grace took turns watching the little ones who weren't adopted by members of the group._

_Miles had said he wouldn't take any rug rats (his term) until he met the twin six year olds Billy and Dave who lost their Mom in a car accident on the day of the blackout. They were scrappy and tough and also very hungry. Miles and Nora took them in and the boys slowly adapted to life in the Ark._

_Connor and Eve were the second couple to get married after the dawn of the 'New American Republic' and they had a baby of their own on the first anniversary of the blackout. Two months later, their daughter gained a brother when they also took in a tow headed four year old boy named Xander._

_The others all slowly took responsibility for strays as well, and in no time the ark was full of yelling and laughing children as well as all of the original adults. There was a lot less drinking and a lot more board games, and strangely nobody minded at all._

_Bass and Charlie (who had been the first couple to marry in the new regime) had been the last hold outs regarding taking in any of the strays. Bass was busy building a new government and his position as the President of a developing country was stressful and all-consuming. Charlie was busy as well. She and Maggie were working long hours to produce the medicine that was now being used in doctor's offices all over the Midwest. Their goal was to broaden their geographic scope, and it was taking long hours and complete focus to work toward that goal. Bass and Charlie made time for their relationship of course. It had been a promise they'd made to each other at the beginning. No matter how crazy life might get, they were a couple first. Everything else came second._

_That included children, or so they thought._

* * *

_Miles and Will were running the growing militia. Within weeks of the lights going out, soldiers had begun to show up in Chicago. They came in small groups and large groups. Sometimes they came one at a time. Sometimes on foot. Sometimes on horseback. The amazing thing was they never stopped coming. Aaron teased that it was like the Field of Dreams. They'd built a new government and now the soldiers were flocking to serve it._

_The initial barracks were completely full within the first three months. New barracks were appropriated all around Chicago after that. Troops were assembled and sent on missions to contain trouble spots and show support. Eventually full platoons were sent to all the other base cities to assist those areas as well._

_The timing of it all was perfect._

_When the so-called "Patriots" began to show up, they were unprepared for the organized and well-equipped 'New American Militia' which they faced. In the beginning, battles were frequent, but fierce. In time, the Patriot presence diminished to a mere nuisance. The 'New American Revolution' lasted only a few months. In its wake, the new government grew and strengthened._

_The people became loyal to their new government. The New American Republic, and its president Bass Monroe were an example of strength in a time of uncertainty. Through written messages that were couriered all over the country, the survivors of the blackout learned that their new leader wanted to help the citizens live normal lives. They were to feel protected and safe. They were to feel free to express their concerns. They were taxed, but fairly and the family of any Militia member was allowed to avoid taxes of any kind as long as their family member served the Republic. These, and other policies, set the standard for a growing government that quickly flourished._

* * *

_Bass and his First Lady Charlie were on a good will mission to Missouri when they came upon a war clan. The clans were an unfortunate reminder that even the best intentions are often met with resistance. The clans refused to join the New Republic, choosing instead to rule themselves in a barbaric and brutal way._

_Bass and Charlie watched as the Militia soldiers they were traveling with tried to reason with the clan's leader, a creepy fellow named Andover. Andover was not interested in joining the Republic or in letting its President cross his territory. He was demanding that the Presidential caravan turn back the way it had come. They might have done exactly that, just to avoid a battle with an unknown enemy when their numbers were small, except that Charlie spotted something that concerned her greatly, and she pointed it out to her husband._

_In an old mall parking lot, they could see a group of dirty clan members standing around the bed of a long abandoned pickup truck. Standing in the bed of the truck was a tall man in leather who was acting as an auctioneer. His merchandise was the two little girls at his side. The older of the two was African-American. She was maybe twelve. She had bruises on her face and a long bloody gash down one cheek. In spite of her injuries and the rope binding her wrists, she stared boldly at the men who dared to bid on her. The second girl was petite with bright red hair and big green eyes. She was maybe eight. Her dress was torn to shreds and she wore a necklace of purple bruises around her delicate throat._

_"Bass, those girls are for sale." Charlie's voice broke with terror and grief. "We have to help them."_

_He had nodded, pulling aside his Generals. Within moments, the clansmen learned that they were no match for even a small number of determined Militia led by a President such as Bass Monroe. Andover and his men lay dead or dying in the street. The girls were loaded carefully into Bass and Charlie's coach. They looked worried but brave. "Who are you?" The older girl asked, her arms crossed._

_"My name is General Sebastian Monroe, I am President of the New American Republic and General of this Militia. We mean you no harm."_

_The girl had nodded slowly, not sure if she should believe this man or not._

_Charlie had held a basket of food out to the girls, "Please eat. Drink." They greedily took the offered food and canteen, gulping and drinking until they were finally satisfied._

_"What are your names?" Charlie asked._

_The little red head spoke first. "I'm Ellie."_

_"And I'm Savannah." The older girl said._

_Bass sucked in a sharp breath and Charlie closed her eyes for just a moment. They looked at each other and spoke without words, agreeing in this very moment that they would personally take care of these girls. No one would ever take the place of the daughter Bass had lost so many years ago, but they both believed in signs, and this was surely one._

* * *

Almost a year after Bass and Charlie had welcomed their 'daughters' Savannah and Ellie into the ever growing Ark family, the girls are settling in nicely. Savannah is stubborn and wicked smart. She wants to be a scientist like Charlie and begs to go to the lab with her every day. Ellie is funny and loves to sing. She performs on the stage, singing whatever song Uncle Miles and Uncle Jeremy will teach her. Both girls have their Daddy wrapped around their little fingers. Charlie is definitely the stricter parent, but even she has a hard time saying no to one of her girls.

* * *

Bass wakes to find Charlie's side of their bed empty. He gets up and yanks on some cotton pajama pants before walking out onto the catwalk that surrounds the Ark's primary living space. He spots her immediately and smiles to himself. She's sitting at the piano on the stage below, softly playing. It's a new hobby of Charlie's. Ellie loves music and Charlie wants to share that with her daughter. Charlie – being Charlie – had taught herself how to play in roughly three hours one afternoon.

He gently opens the door next to theirs, peeking in on the sleeping girls. They are both out cold in their little bunk beds. Savannah is sprawled out, one foot hanging off the side of her bed. Bass carefully enters their narrow room and gently tucks her foot back under the covers. He kisses her cheek and then bends down to check on Ellie. She is snuggled up under her blanket, a grey teddy bear clutched tightly to her chest. Bass kisses her cheek too before quietly letting himself out of their room and making his way down the stairs.

Charlie is playing something soft and sweet. She's having trouble sleeping lately and sometimes music helps calm her frazzled nerves. She feels his presence before she hears or sees him. "Bass." She says with a tired smile. "Did I wake you?"

"Only by not being in our bed." He says softly, "Scoot up."

She does as he asks, allowing him to sit behind her, his long legs framing her own on the old piano bench. Bass wraps his arms around her while she plays and he nuzzles her neck. "This is beautiful. You wrote it, didn't you?"

She shrugs, embarrassed. "Just a little lullaby."

Bass moves his hands, gently stroking Charlie's swollen belly. "The baby will love it." He says. The baby will love you. You are a wonderful Mother." Charlie knows that he's probably right, but she's been struggling, worried that she might fail at parenting…that she might repeat her mother's mistakes.

As if reading her mind, he whispers into her ear, "You are not your mom, Charlie. You're going to be wonderful."

Charlie sighs, sinking back into his embrace. "I love you Bass."

"Mmmm, love you too." He nibbles on her ear, "Hey, can I play something with you?"

"Never played the piano with someone like that before." She says, unsure.

"Yeah, but we know you're a quick study. I'll start. Just follow my lead."

He moves his hands to the keyboard and begins to play a simple but lovely melody. Quietly, he sings the words to the song as he plays.

**Something in your eyes makes me wanna lose myself  
Makes me wanna lose myself in your heart  
There's something in your voice makes my heart beat fast  
Hope this feeling will last the rest of my life**

**If you knew how lonely my life has been  
And how low I've felt for so long  
If you knew how I wanted someone to come along  
And change my world the way you've done**

Charlie tentatively reaches out to touch the keys, adding a simple harmony to his song. She melts into him, soaking up the sound of his voice in her ear and the way he surrounds her with more love than she even knows how to return.

**It feels like home to me feels like home to me  
Feels like I'm on my way back where I come from  
Feels like home to me feels like home to me  
Feels like I'm on my way back where I'm from**

**With your embrace down a long dark street  
And a sigh of wind in the night  
But I'm alright 'cause I have you here with me**  
**And I can almost see the dark feels light**

Charlie is getting the hang of playing with Bass now, and adds in some extra notes. The music fills the space, swelling and pulsing richly around the room. Bass's voice is sexy and low and full of sincerity.

**If you knew how much this moment means to me  
And how long I've waited for your touch  
If you knew how I wanted someone to come along  
I never thought I'd love anyone so much**

**Feels like home to me, feels like home to me  
Feels like I'm on my way to where I come from  
Feels like home to me, feels like home to me  
Feels like I'm on my way back to where I belong  
Feels like I'm on my way back to where I belong**

As the last notes of the song fade, Bass moves his hands back to Charlie's belly. "I love you Charlie. I love our girls. I love this new baby, and I love my life with you."

Charlie tilts her head to meet his mouth with a kiss. They are deepening the kiss when they hear the giggles. Bass smiles against his wife's lips. Charlie chuckles. They pull apart and glance up at the cat walk where two little girls are sitting with their bare feet dangling over the edge.

"That was a pretty song Daddy." Ellie says with a proud grin. "Your voice is so full of feelings when you sing. I want to sing like that."

Savannah is smiling too. "I liked the lullaby too Mom. The baby will love it."

"Go to sleep girls." Bass calls up to them."

"We love you." Charlie adds.

"Love you too!" the girls chorus before returning to their bedroom.

"We should go to bed." Bass says with a whisper. "Big day tomorrow."

"You aren't worried, are you?" She asks with a smirk. "You got this election in the bag."

"Not worried, just wondering if I should have even run. Jeremy should have done it this time around."

"Two more years won't be so bad. Jeremy can run next time. By then maybe he and Maggie will have stopped dancing around in circles and he'll be able to start his presidency with a First Lady of his own."

"You're sure you want to do this again?" he asks.

"You are a wonderful President, Bass. I love watching you in action. This country loves you and it needs you. Things are still volatile in some regions. Changing leaders right now might move us back. We might lose all of the progress you've made. This is the right thing to do. You will win and you will continue to be the great leader we've come to know you can be."

"Shit Charlie, you're making me wish I'd voted for myself."

"I'm serious. You are a natural at this."

"Well, in two more years, I'm done. I'd like to see if I'm a natural at just being a guy with a family."

They make their way up the stairs and enter their room. Bass closes the door softly behind him. Charlie turns and wraps her arms around his back. "I can think of one thing I already know you are a natural at, Mr. President."

"Oh, and what is that?" he strokes a fingertip along her jaw.

"Loving me. Making me happy. Being my family…"

"That's more than one thing." He says softly, touching her lips ever so softly with his own.

"No it's just one thing really." She takes his hand and lays it over her heart, "You filled all my empty spaces with your love. You made me whole."

"Charlie?"

"Yeah, Bass."

"That's exactly what you've done for me." His voice is a hoarse whisper as raw emotion breaks through.

"Not ever gonna stop."

"Me either. This is the real deal. We are the luckiest people alive." He sighs, stroking her back slowly.

"Mmmm," she nuzzles against his neck. "So glad to hear it, but can we stop talking now? Mama is hormonal and horny as hell and – "

"Say no more. I got this."

Charlie grins happily up at the man she loves. "Oh, yeah you do."

**END**

* * *

**A/N "Feels Like Home" has been performed by several different musicians. My personal favorite is the version done by the writer himself – the great ****Randy**** Newman.**

**Thanks to all who have shown this story some love. I appreciate each and every one of you. And a great big super duper thank you to Romeokijai for sticking with me all the way through and for inspiring me with the original idea. Hope I did justice to the image you sent me for inspiration. I really did love writing this story. Thanks so much for getting the ball rolling.**

**Comment if you have a minute. Would love to hear what you think.**


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